Explosions of Every Kind
by untouchablerogue15
Summary: Rogue's with X-men. Gambit's with the Acolytes. So what happens when in the middle of a battle Rogue gets critically injured?
1. Chapter 1

Out of all the places to get inspiration for a story I get mine from Mythbusters for this one. Not my usual show, but I was watching it one day and saw a myth about ducking behind objects like walls, tables, and dumpsters to survive a blast of C4. Anyways a story started forming in my head and I stayed up all night the next day to write it. Anyways, R&R and enjoy!

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind<strong>

Everyone sat around a wide table discussing, a holographic map projected in the middle with red dots on electrical plants, a solar energy plant, and a hydroelectric dam.

"It makes no sense," Professor Xavier started, "if these attacks are Magneto, and the overwhelming evidence suggests they are, why go after areas of power supplies? What's his plan?"

"Maybe he's building something and needs the energy," Scott put forward.

"No, because he's not draining these plants," Xavier interlocked his fingers and rested his chin on them thoughtfully, "he's destroying them. And the outcome has been catastrophic to the general population."

"So why destroy peoples' energy sources? What's he got t'gain by doin' that?" Rogue queried.

"I don't know. Perhaps he is just trying to punish the world for their rejection of mutants," Xavier pondered.

Scott flipped on the TV, "And it looks like he's at it again."

The news reporter stood in the center of the downtown area and informed, "Two more power plants under attack. Sources say a factory that manufactures and fills propane tanks had to be evacuated when inexplicable fires appeared out of nowhere and set off all the alarms." She stopped and placed her hand to her earpiece and continued, "Just in, a report of the last electric plant in Bayville collapsing to the ground unexplainably. These catastrophes are clearly not of natural origins. More on the story later."

"Attacking two at once. Like the acolytes are totally helping him on this," Kitty declared.

"Yes, that seems to be the case," Xavier thought, "Okay, we must act fast if we are to prevent any more damage. Scott, Jean, and Kitty take the electric plant. Kurt, Rogue, and Bobby the propane factory."

Everyone nodded and headed out.

Kurt, Rogue, and Bobby took the X-van. Rogue drove of course, wanting to actually make it to the mission alive. "Inexplicable fires… Pyro's definitely at this site," Rogue thought aloud.

"Or Gambit," Kurt teased while nudging Rogue with his elbow. Most of the X-men had noticed by now how much Gambit singled Rogue out during fights and used all his flirting charm to try and win her over. He'd failed… at least that's what Rogue wanted everyone to think. What they didn't know was she did think about him, often, remembering the ruby-on-ebony eyes that captivated her long enough for him to hand her an explosive card and safely walk away before it went off.

The car started to swerve into the next lane. "Rogue!" Bobby shouted as Kurt grabbed the wheel and she snapped back into reality.

"Ah got it Kurt," she said as she took back control of the wheel and continued to drive in silence.

Meanwhile, at the propane factory the acolytes' job was simple: tear the place apart then blow it up. Not hard at all. At this base they had Sabertooth for the tearing, Gambit for the blowing up and Pyro for the distraction and of course fiery fun. Which left Magneto and Colossus to take care of the electric plant. The job was simple enough, which frankly bored Gambit. Pyro was entertaining himself by making distinctive fire creatures to wreak havoc on the factory, and Sabertooth seemed contempt at tearing everything into itty bitty pieces. But Gambit, he wanted some real action. He wanted a fight. And as strange as it seemed, he wanted the X-men to show up just so he could have a good work out.

Thinking about the X-men lead his mind to the mutant he really wanted to see. A certain two-toned hair color southerner with poisonous skin. He'd only really told this fact to Pyro, in fact he'd talk for hours about her to him. Eventually, Pyro just put in earphones and pretended to listen.

Gambit got his wish, in teleported Kurt, Bobby, and Rogue. A satisfied smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. Then the trio split; Bobby going for Pyro, Kurt going for Sabertooth, and Rogue going for Gambit. Which made his smirk grow that much wider.

"You miss me Chere? Mus' be my way wit' women," Gambit sneered smugly.

"Of course not. Don't flatter yourself," she replied while spinning around and sending her elbow into his jaw. This was followed by him stumbling back, and then tossing a charged card near her feet to catch her off-balance, next dropping to the floor and sweeping his leg under her causing Rogue to drop on her back. She let out a grunt, then rolled onto her side and returned the favor, causing him to land face first next to her.

In the meantime, Kurt was keeping Sabertooth busy by teleporting all around taunting the acolyte to catch him, then when he climbed all the way up the wall Kurt would teleport to another and stick out his tongue. In addition, Pyro was chasing Bobby around with one, rather large, dragon made out of fire. Every attempt Bobby made to freeze it melted, as a result he was ice-bridging all around trying to avoid being fried.

For the moment, Rogue and Gambit had both stood up, brushed themselves off and were back to fighting. This time she started with a kick aimed at his abdomen. He blocked, but grabbed her leg and spun her around. She got mad at not being completely in control off her own movements and ripped her foot out of his grip, pulling him forward into her back and bringing both of them down on top of each other. Gambit was heavy on top of her; nevertheless she shifted her weight underneath him and rolled him over to his back placing her on top. Rogue turned around with a leg on each side of him and pinned his wrists to the ground, "Whatcha gonna do wit'out your cards?" she mocked.

He smiled and calmly responded, "This." As he shifted the positions of his arms, one shooting up, one shooting down, and rolled them both over. Now he was on top pinning her down.

Rogue fought against his strong body on top of hers, but couldn't break free. "Let me go!" she shouted.

"No."

She glared at him, "Get offa me."

"Gambit is comfy where he is."

Kurt noticed Gambit straddling his sister and wasn't going to let that go without a fight. He forgot about Sabertooth and teleported over to Gambit. Grabbing him before he even hit ground, then teleporting near the ceiling and letting him fall. Kurt went back to Rogue and offered her a hand up. She started to say something when she saw Sabertooth charging at them from over his shoulder. "Look out!" she shouted shoving Kurt out of the way. Sabertooth seized her by the shoulders and slammed her up against a wall. "Put me down flea bag!" She kicked at him but he wouldn't release her.

Bobby ice-bridged over and froze the back of Sabertooth's neck, causing him to let out a nasty growl and drop Rogue. Now, Sabertooth was after Bobby, who kept freezing his feet to the floor, Kurt was intent on teaching Gambit a lesson, and Rogue was sneaking up behind Pyro so he wouldn't singe her before she could attack.

Rogue got a running start and tackled Pyro from behind.

"Ello Shelia!" rang out his thick Australian accent.

She had her arms firmly clasped around him; the bad thing was he could still shoot fire from his igniters; the good thing was with his arms fastened to his sides he couldn't control it very well. Not a problem for Pyro though, his signature insane Australian laugh came bellowing out past his lips. He stomped on Rogue's right foot and raised his arms with all his strength to break her grip. If he had any self-control it was gone now. Fire everywhere! It whipped and roared through the air, and he sent it straight towards Rogue. She started running, then looked around and thought, 'oh shit, propane!' Sparks started igniting. She had to find cover. Unfortunately, Sabertooth had done a good job of destroying most everything before they arrived. Rogue ran and ducked behind the closest thing she could find: a metal machine.

Then… _BOOM! _

The only thing heard through the thick, ash-colored smoke was Pyro's insane laughter. The machine blew to bits and sent shrapnel everywhere. All Pyro saw was the dim outline of a girl with white stripes lying on the floor.

Rogue was hit hard. Not only was she slammed into the wall when the explosion went off, but she had shrapnel pierce her flesh in several locations. The biggest part of which was deeply imbedded in her side. She lay on the floor, feeling herself slowly lose consciousness. Touching the sharp edge that stuck out of her skin of the large piece of metal that punctured her side she withdrew her gloved hand to find it stained with blood. Her other arm outstretched, and remarkably it was not her brother she called out for, it was her adversary. "Re-Remy," she whispered weakly before her head and hand fell limp.

Pyro started skipping around in a circle singing, "I got the white-striped Shelia! I got the white-striped Shelia!"

Gambit looked over, he was used to things blowing up or catching on fire when Pyro was around, but Rogue? No, if he hurt her it'd be the last thing he ever did. Gambit ran over to him, "What'd you do?"

"Set the place on fire, mate!"

"Where's Rogue?"

Pyro pointed over towards the rubble of the assembly line machine. Gambit grabbed him by the throat, "Y'blew her up?" He didn't wait for a reply; instead he dropped him and raced over there. When he got to her he saw a scarlet red puddle collecting beneath her body and a steady stream of drops dripping down from her side, plus three more extensive shrapnel cuts on her back. All trickling the same scarlet blood into the puddle below.

He dropped to his knees to help her, but then Nightcrawler came leaping over shouting, "Stay away from her!" Grabbing him by the shoulders and flipping him over into the wall.

"I'm tryin' t'help!" Gambit yelled as he picked himself up and ran over to the fallen Rogue.

"Liar! You're the enemy here!" Kurt shouted at him.

He ignored this last comment and picked Rogue up bridal-style. "Iceman!" he hollered as Bobby rushed over, "Get her outta here." Bobby extended his arms to carry Rogue, "What are you t'inking homme Gambit's comin' too."

"But-" Bobby started in protest.

"Jus' go! She's losin' blood fast."

Immediately, Bobby made an ice bridge and carried all four of them over the town back to the Institute as fast as he could.

They arrived at the gates and Bobby punched in the code. "Their not opening!" he gasped fearfully.

"Move!" Gambit threw three charged cards, they destroyed the gates and he darted through. The alarm system must have been activated, because he was also dodging lasers and buzz saws to get to the front doors of the mansion. He made it and blasted open those doors too. To keep up Kurt teleported Bobby and himself to the front lobby. Gambit ran by them searching for the infirmary.

"Over here," Bobby said waving his arm in the direction they should go.

Gambit ran straight by a group of girls walking down the steps, one of which was Amara, "Hey that was an acolyte. Carrying Rogue!" The cluster of girls scampered off following him as well.

Finally, they arrived at the infirmary. Beast was in there looking over some medical results when Gambit came storming in. He turned around and saw Rogue, "Oh my. What happened?" Then he saw who was carrying her, "What are you doing here?"

"Questions later. Help her."

Gambit laid her down in a bed; Beast noticed Gambit's uniform stained with blood from his waist down.

"It seems you have drawn quite the crowd," Beast observed. Gambit curved his head to see Kurt, Bobby, and a couple other mutants he did not know the names of peering their heads in.

Beast had placed gauze on most of Rogue's back wounds to prevent further blood loss and infection; he then turned her on her side to see a gleaming piece of metal trapped four inches deep into her flesh.

She moaned. She was awake, barely. "Now Rogue this is going to hurt," Beast warned. He took a pair of large tweezers and took hold of the shrapnel. He started to pull. Shrieks of pain escaped her mouth; her eyes shut as tight as she could manage to shut them. Two hands enclosed around hers and she grabbed them and squeezed them mercilessly as she screamed. One last cry of agony and it was out. Her breathing labored, deep and heavy. Rogue slowly opened her eyes and peered into the face of Gambit. Her gaze followed his face down to his neck, past his chest, towards his arms, and ended at his hands.

Hands that she was holding, and that were holding her.

She paused for a moment then quickly let go. Exhausted, she fell into her pillow as Beast covered her wound. "You'll need lots of rest. And won't be able to sit up very easily for a few days," he informed her.

"Ah can't just sit here."

"I'm afraid you have no choice. You're body needs time to heal. I'm officially placing you on bed rest."

She decided to argue that matter some more later, because right now that's exactly what she needed.

Gambit stood over her watching. Taking note of the tiniest movements to even how she can be torn up and still be beautiful. He had no intention of leaving her side.

Meanwhile, Charles and Hank were outside the infirmary talking.

"She got cut up pretty bad and will need a lot of time to recover, but she should be fine."

"That's good to hear," Xavier peered into the infirmary, "And what of him?"

"From how he was running like a mad man to get her medical attention I doubt he's here to do the X-men any harm."

"Yes, I sense no underlying scheme in his mind. Just worries for our young mutant."

"So what do we do?"

"He's a mutant just like us. We'll invite him to stay, join the team. But later, right now his mind is too full for another thought."

The group of kids had sat down in the hallway to wait for any news. Beast came out and announced, "Rogue is going to be fine. She just-"

"Beast!" Gambit's voice was heard calling.

Beast rushed back in, he didn't have to ask what was wrong, he could see it. Rogue was coughing up blood. "We need to do emergency surgery, now!" Beast grabbed her bed and wheeled it into the surgery room, "I need Jean!" he yelled. Jean was studying to go into the medical field, but was still out on the mission. Xavier sent her a telepathic message to get back to the mansion, it was urgent. She left the fight up to Cyclops and Shadowcat and flew as fast as she could back. She managed to make it there just in time and rushed into the surgery room. "There's shrapnel in her internal organs, give her a sedative."

She asked no questions and did what she was told. It took a while to find all the pieces, but they did it. Finally, they rolled a very heavily drugged Rogue back into the infirmary. Gambit stood up the second he saw her, "Is she gonna be okay?"

"Hopefully." Not the most reassuring word to hear.

Gambit stayed with her all night. He didn't notice anything that happened outside of that room. Not Scott and Kitty coming back. Not a concerned brother pacing the hall. He didn't even notice Logan getting back from wherever he'd been until he literally ripped the doors off the infirmary.

"You!" he growled, "You did this?" Logan unsheathed his claws and positioned them centimeters from Gambit's neck.

"No!" he yelled back.

Beast came running in, "It's alright Logan. He's here to help her."

He grumbled, "I doubt it." Then walked over to Rogue, her eyes slightly flittering open, and took hold of her hand, "Gonna be okay kid?"

A hazy smile appeared on her face, "Course."

"I'll be here to check on you, promise."

Her head nodded and she drifted back into unconsciousness. Gambit realized they were much closer than he had originally thought. This was potentially very dangerous to his future health. Beast had left and Logan pulled up a chair next to Rogue's bed. While Gambit took a seat on the opposite side. He knew Wolverine wanted to tear him into little pieces and bury them so far away no one would ever find them, which didn't make the awkward tension any better.

However, both men eventually drifted off into sleep.

Wolverine, being woken up first with an assignment to track down Magneto's new base reluctantly left Rogue's side. Before he left though he checked in on her one more time, but stopped when he saw Gambit holding her hand, pleading with her unconscious figure, "Please be alright Chere, please." Logan smiled and left without a sound.

She woke up rather disoriented the next morning. "Why am Ah in the infirmary?"

"You were in an explosion during a battle Chere," Gambit's voice startled her.

"Why are y'here?" she asked.

"You could have died Cherie," he sounded sincere.

She replied coldly, "An' what do y'care? We're enemies."

"Jus' couldn't bear the thought of goin' into battle an' not seein' you there." He tried to reach out for her but she retorted quickly. As she did though, she caught a glimpse of her uniform: torn and blood-covered.

She looked around then asked, "So none of it was a dream?"

As Beast walked in he answered, "No Rogue it wasn't," then he held up the large piece of shrapnel that was imbedded in her side and asked light-heartedly, "Would you like a souvenir?"

She raised her hand up to her face and rubbed her cheek, drawing it back she saw the soot that freshly rested on her tattered, blood coated glove. "Maybe later," she answered.

"Suit yourself," he took a medical chart with him and left.

She plopped down on her pillow with a thud, "What am Ah s'pose t'do stuck in here for weeks?"

Gambit smirked, "I could entertain ya."

"Go jump offa bridge Swamp Rat."

He smiled wider than before, "One second," he said and rushed out.

Gambit came back with a bed-in-breakfast table and placed it on Rogue's lap. She scanned the items: French toast, a glass of milk, her favorite book, a fresh pair of black gloves, and a rose.

"Ya were in mah room," she stated eyeing him suspiciously.

"Minor detail," he dismissed, "Now eat up, Gambit made them specially fo' you."

They were delicious, covered in maple syrup and powdered sugar. But halfway through the first one she set down her fork, she had to tell him what was nagging at her.

"What's wrong Chere? You don' like 'em?"

"They're great. It's…umm…" she looked down, contemplating whether she should tell him or not, "y'know who Ah called out for before Ah lost consciousness?"

"Non."

"You."

"You called out Gambit's name?"

"Ah called out Remy's name."

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN XMEN OR XMEN EVOLUTION<strong>

**Might write another chapter for it! Tell me if you think I should!**


	2. The Only Way

HEY! i got chapter 2 up. it's shorter and a chapter 3 is coming, i promise! Enjoy and R&R!

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 2: The Only Way<strong>

Her eyes flittered open and her blurred vision slowly cleared to see the white infirmary room she'd been stuck in for almost a week and a half now. Rogue gradually turned her head to look upon the same man she'd seen at her bedside each day: Gambit.

Her lips parted into a little, lazy smile, "Hey Remy." It was almost a whisper, but he still loved hearing her say his name.

"Morning Rogue," he crooned, "How y'feelin'?"

She propped herself up using her elbows and answered, "Better."

The two had gotten used to each other's company over the past couple days, however that didn't mean the tension or distrust was gone by any means. Rogue was still very weary of him, although sometimes she would catch herself starting to rely on him or wanting to laugh at one of his jokes and would mentally reprimand herself.

"Sweet dreams last night, Chere?"

This was his idea of a casual conversation.

Her eyes narrowed on him, "None that involved you."

It didn't even faze him; he simply shrugged and said, "To bad."

Before Rogue could roll her eyes she was suddenly seized by a dry coughing fit and couldn't stop. Gambit quickly snatched the glass of ice water on the table beside him and gave it to Rogue. She drank over half of it and the coughing gradually stopped. As she gasped for air Rogue was able to breathe out one word, "Thanks."

He steadily sat back down, "No problem." The worry in his voice was clearly audible.

This time _she_ gave_ him_ the concerned look, "Ah'm okay, really." She paused for a moment; afraid of having any kind of intimate moment with Gambit she quickly changed the subject. "Is Logan back yet?"

This was not an uncommon question for her to ask, she liked having Logan around he was like her father. However, she also frequently used this question to break the tension between her and Gambit. Needless to say, he was used to hearing those four words.

"Non."

A thought that had been nagging at her for a few days had recently reentered her mind. "Y'know y'll neva be accepted back into the Acolytes after this."

He grinned slyly, "Who'd wanna go back wit' _them_ when _you're_ here?"

Her voice became agitated and harsh, "Y'got some real nerve sayin' shit like that here-" Abruptly, she started hacking uncontrollably.

"Rogue!"

She coughed so violently the bed started to shake, with one extremely brutal cough blood spewed out onto the sheets that covered her legs. Gambit mashed the intercom button, not knowing which room was on the other end, just desperate for aid, and screamed, "Help! It's Rogue! Help!"

Fortunately, the other end of the intercom was linked to the danger room control booth where Beast and The Professor were assessing the X-mens' latest agility skills. Beast, hearing the distress call, leaned into the microphone and said hurriedly, "Dismissed. Shower and get ready for the day." Then he and the Professor rushed out.

They arrived at the infirmary to find Gambit close to a frenzy. "She's coughin' up blood!"

"Okay, okay," Beast said hastily, "Back away. Give me some room." He pressed his massive, blue, furry, clawed hand against her chest and pushed down. This caused Rogue to gasp and hack some more, spitting blood onto Beast's arm.

"Her blood may be clotting," Beast informed.

"Can you help her?" The Professor questioned.

"Wolverine can," Gambit put forth abruptly.

The Professor paused then told Gambit, "Wolverine isn't here right now. And we cannot contact him, he's out of range."

"There's gotta be a way."

The Professor looked down and sorrowfully shook his head.

"Then Sabertooth!" Gambit shouted out.

Both men stopped in their tracks and stared.

Gambit continued, "He has healing powers too, non? He may be the only one who can save her," his anger took over and he reverted back to his native tongue, "Pourquoi tu ne vois pas cela?"

"It's a long-shot, Charles," Beast warned.

"We don't have any other options," Xavier said gravely.

The kids from the Danger room session had cleaned up and were walking the halls now. Kitty, Kurt, Scott, and Jean went to the infirmary to visit Rogue and had overheard all the commotion. All four had decided to hide around the corner and listen in, but Kitty couldn't take it anymore.

"Sabertooth's dangerous! And like he'd never help us!"

All three men turned to stare at Kitty's you've-got-to-be-kidding-me face, when Scott said, "How do we know this isn't just an excuse for him to go rejoin his team after 'observing' us and report what he found? He could just be a spy, working for Magneto all along!"

"I assure y'mon ami that is not why I'm here!" Gambit said enraged.

"Stop all your shouting," Kurt interjected. "What's best for Rogue?"

"Sabertooth's healin' factor," Gambit answered, "I know their n'xt target, we can take him there."

"This information you were planning on sharing?" Scott asked.

Gambit gave him a nasty glance, and then turned to The Professor, "This is the only way."

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><p>Pourquoi tu ne vois pas cela? - Why can't you see that?<p>

_Chapter 3 is coming! I don't know when, but I will write it and I promise it will have action in it!_

_Love ya'll R&R!_

**Disclaimer- I DO NOT OWN XMEN OR XMEN EVOLUTION**


	3. Fight for Her Life

Chapter 3 is up just like I promised!

Hope that was fast enough for you roguelover321!

Thanks for all the reviews. Chapter 4 will be coming soon, but sadly I have an essay for school I really should finish so I don't know when chapter 4 will be up. R&R everyone!

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 3: Fight for Her Life<strong>

"Traitor!" Pyro's fists were heard throughout the entire base banging on the metal table. "The mate just up 'n left when the Shelia got hurt!" This time he kicked at the table's leg, "How dare he! Does the bloke think he's an X-man?"

Magneto came over and placed his hands on Pyro's shoulder that was burning with anger, and said, "Calm yourself Pyro. He'll be back, now come, we need to go over the location one more time."

He complied, but grumbled the whole way over to their projector screen where a map of Bayville and the surrounding areas' remaining power plants lay sprawled out across the white canvas. "We are going to take down the last surviving hydroelectric dam in the area," he pointed to the city two miles southeast of Bayville, "The world will soon be dark, and once again we will be living among the environment with the rule of competition, not government keeping us inline. The strong and cunning will survive; the weak will adapt our die." At that, Sabertooth let out a snarling growl in agreement, and the men filed into their appropriate metal spheres as Magneto lifted them and sent the orbs whizzing through the air, carrying his Acolytes inside.

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><p>Meanwhile, in the X-mansion's war room, Professor Xavier, Cyclops, Storm, and Gambit, who was very reluctantly torn away from Rogue's side, were discussing which strategy had the most likelihood of succeeding.<p>

"Magneto wants t'take us back in time so the government can't screw wit' us anymore," Gambit informed them, "I believe his next target is the dam south of us."

"That could be very dangerous for anyone unlucky enough to be there," Xavier worried aloud.

"The world is out of balance, I can feel it, but this is not the way to fix it," Storm said.

Suddenly, a scaled 3-D holographic image of the hydroelectric dam appeared and rotated in the middle of the table.

"He might flood it," Gambit warned.

"If we attack head-on we could overwhelm them," Scott put forward.

"That option also has devastating back-fire potential," Xavier cautioned, "By-standers could be hurt or even killed, plus they would see us coming…" He thought then shook his head perceptively, "No, I think a rear stealth ambush would be a better decision."

Gambit decided to put in his strategical advice, "Most everyone should focus on takin' Sabertooth out 'n' a few others could hold the rest off."

Xavier turned to him with sympathy in his voice, "Our first order of business is making sure Magneto's plan does not succeed, not kidnapping Sabertooth."

"Rogue's dying!" Gambit shouted infuriated, "And y'expect me not t'worry bout that?" The anger had spread to his eyes. "I ain't an X-man, 'n' I'm goin' after Sabertooth when da time comes."

Scott stood abruptly and placed his hand to his visor as it started to glow pink. Gambit stared him down and took a card from his pocket, charged it and went into a ready position of his own.

"Go ahead, shoot!" Gambit taunted.

Storm stood and placed her hand on Scott's, "No, no fighting. In here he's not our enemy."

Through clenched teeth Scott eventually sat back down complaining in muffled whispers that, "He's always an enemy, no matter where we are."

Gambit also gradually sat back down, whispering his own curses, most of which were in French.

"Gambit," The Professor said with concern, "we cannot compromise the entire mission for the sake of one person."

He stood silently and walked out, yelling behind him once he was in the hall, "Come get me when y'take off."

"He'll endanger the operation Professor," Scott objected.

"Or save it. He cares deeply for our Rogue, and I bet out of everyone here he'll be the one to take out Sabertooth, because he's doing it to save her."

With that, Scott fell silent.

Gambit walked back to the infirmary to find Rogue sleeping in her hospital bed. Though, on closer examination he discovered she was not sleeping easily, her breathing was strenuous and hoarse. He walked over and stroked her hair, hardly being weary of her poison skin, "I promise I'll get y'better Chere." Her breathing hitched for a moment, and then a cough settled in her throat. She hacked uncontrollably and blood spewed out over Gambit's partially gloved hand. He had her drink some water and gently placed her head back down on the pillow to drift off to sleep once more. Whether she was awake enough to realize what he had said, he did not know. After he watched her fall asleep and made sure she was as comfortable as she could be, he lightly kissed her hair, not pressing hard enough to come in contact with her skin and left.

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><p>The entire team piled into the X-jet, even newer recruits. They were told of Magneto's plan as well as their mission being to stop it, they were also informed to focus on Sabertooth as much as possible. This was of little consolation to Gambit. The entire jet had a sense of awkwardness with an Acolyte sitting in the back. His effect ranged from Kitty whispering to Rahne that he was really attractive to grumbles from Kurt and Scott that he shouldn't be there.<p>

"Going into stealth mode," Storm said from the pilot's seat.

They landed on the elevated side of the valley; where the giant barricade that kept the lake in meet the hillside. They stayed in the jet observing Magneto and his crew's behavior. Gambit's eyes immediately found and followed Sabertooth as he scaled up the large barricade, positioned himself on top, and searched for weak spots in the structure.

They were told to be patient, to wait for an opportunity of superlative attack advantage. But Gambit's mind burned with images of his dying Cherie, and he couldn't take it. He stood, anger smoldering in his eyes, "Sit down," Scott told him. He made no reply. Suddenly, his bo-staff appeared from under his trench coat and pushed Scott aside as he made a break for the door. Scott lunged after him but missed, and when he got up to pursue him the Professor told Scott to sit down and be quiet.

"So far as they know he's the only one here. We'll make our move soon."

Gambit ran fast and hard across the top of the barricade and charged for Sabertooth, knocking them both onto the hard cement. Sabertooth let out a lengthy and spiteful growl before flinging Gambit off of him and standing back up. Gambit simply back flipped out of the shove he received and landed on his feet skidding backwards, then lunged at him again. Leaping forward he let four charged cards fly from his hand into Sabertooth's chest, cursing himself for not charging them enough to cause him to lose balance and fall into the valley below. Sabertooth's hand clenched into a fist and he swung at Gambit. He blocked the punch to the face, but took in full force the one to the stomach. He heaved for another breath and let four more cards soar. While Sabertooth was temporary blinded by the smoke, Gambit whipped out his bo-staff and hit every pressure point he could come across, bringing Sabertooth to his knees, but only for a moment. He was back up and seized Gambit by the shoulders lifting him of the ground, intent on squeezing the life out of him, but first he had a question.

"Why are you going after me? Pyro's the one that scorched your girl."

"Y'can save her mon ami," Gambit tried to plea.

He gave him an eyebrow cocked looked and said, "Oh really?"

"Ye-" Before Gambit could finish Sabertooth head-butted him and sent him flying backwards with a cruel laugh. When Gambit recovered an evil sneer quivered his upper lip. He threw a spectacle of cards at him, and this time they were charged enough to knock him off the perch. Through the smoke Gambit ran and clenched his clothing right below his shoulders, both men went tumbling down into the valley below.

"Now X-men!" Xavier instructed, and the rest dashed out of the jet in battle ready positions.

Pyro, seeing this smiled because he loved a fight; always a chance to blow things up.

Jean and Kitty took Colossus. Kitty leaped, grabbing his ankles and fazing him knee-deep into the ground. He transformed himself to metal and broke the rock around him, then raised himself out of the hole. From that, he punched the ground and threw the shattered rocks at the two girls. Jean immediately put a force field around them to hold off the attack.

Meanwhile, Kurt decided to keep Pyro busy. He ported next to him, ducked, and side swept him, causing him to fall on his ass. "You'll pay for that mate!"

Pyro clapped his arms together and out soared a raging ball of fire that he chased Kurt with. That is until he teleported behind him and clapped his ears with his three-fingered hands, causing Pyro to shriek in pain. At that moment, Pyro lit the ground and created a rampant circle of flames spitting and shooting their hot breath out all about him. Choking on thick smoke, Kurt ported out of the circle to breathe. Pyro's insane Australian cackle echoed throughout the valley.

Bobby smiled hearing this, and from behind some brush quietly extinguished Pyro's circle little by little until it was nothing but a memory. Pyro's expression dropped from an ear-to-ear grin to a nasty frown. "Show yourself coward!"

Bobby rolled out from the brush into a battle pretense, then he and Pyro stood as if in an old western showdown. Without warning, both shot their opposite elements at each other and the forces met in the middle.

In the meantime, Sabertooth and Gambit had plummeted into the excess water below. The two men recovered and were back at each other's throats. Sabertooth had drop kicked Gambit the second he could clearly see him, and Gambit, being on the ground had booted in one of Sabertooth's shins. Wolfsbane, watching the fight from above decided to help. She skidded her way down the barricade in her half-wolf form to be able to latch onto the wall with her claws for traction. Three feet from the ground she leapt off the wall and onto Sabertooth's back, transforming in the air into a full wolf she sunk her teeth into the back of his neck. As Sabertooth snarled with pain, Gambit plunged his bo-staff deep into his abdomen then broke it in half and struck Sabertooth hard in the head. He reached behind him and hurled Wolfsbane off into an adjacent tree as he collapsed to the ground.

In that moment, Gambit, breathing heavily, realized he was unaware of anything else that had been going on around him. He saw Kitty and Jean shielded from Colossus as Scott blasted him into the hillside, he saw Pyro and Bobby going at it, and he saw Magneto systematically twisting and coiling the turbines into a warped mass of metal. The machinery exploded and hissed as he did so.

Xavier and Storm took the X-jet to the skies, picking up each member of the team before more damage could be done. Maneuvering her way with the jet into the valley Gambit threw Wolfsbane over his shoulder and dragged Sabertooth's unconscious body up the open incline, and they took off.

Pyro started to generate a fire replica of the jet but was stopped by Magneto, "We have accomplished what we came here to do, let them leave."

"But they've got Sabertooth and Gambit," Pyro protested.

"No," Magneto corrected, "Gambit has Sabertooth."

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><p>"You!" Scott yelled, "Because of your selfishness Magneto succeeded. You are here for him! Spy!"<p>

"Excusez-moi! Gambit took Sabertooth by himself. And didn' ask fo' anyone's help. The only person dat helped me was her," he pointed to Rahne slumped unconscious in the corner.

"And look where that got her!" Scott argued.

"You suggestin' Gambit did dis on purpose t'the femme?" Gambit posed getting in Scott's face.

"Both of you calm down," The Professor said through gritted teeth. Both mutants on the point of fighting yet again, sat and cursed at each other from afar.

They arrived at the mansion in an uncomfortable silence. When they landed in the hanger bay The Professor announced, "Everyone change, get ready for bed, and then meet in the war room to discuss. We must plan our next move. Dismissed." Everyone loaded out of the Blackbird except Gambit, Storm, and Xavier.

"What if he is to wake up before we reach the infirmary?" Storm questioned looking down at Sabertooth's unconscious form.

"Let's just hope he does not," Xavier said to Storm.

The Professor used his telekinesis to levitate Sabertooth down the hall, with Storm and Gambit behind just incase he were to wake up. When they arrived at the infirmary Rogue was sleeping. Gambit checked the clock and it read 1:17, he hadn't realized how late it was when he had left.

Once again, he stroked her hair thinking to himself, 'this will work, this will work.' He looked at the Professor and nodded.

Xavier looked troubled; he turned to Gambit and asked, "You know the risks of this, don't you? She could permanently absorb parts of him, whether it be his mutation or appalling personality."

Gambit took this into account then gazed at Rogue once more and answered, "I know."

"Okay," Xavier accepted, "Let's begin."

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><p>Whooo! Chapter 3! Tell me what you think. And as soon as I can I promise to work on chapter 4!<p>

R&R!

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN XMEN OR XMEN EVOLUTION**


	4. I Did It for You

Chapter 4! Yippee!

And just for those of you that actually read these authors notes, I got an A on that essay I procrastinated on :)

Please R&R!

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 4: I Did It for You <strong>

Sabertooth lay unconscious on the ground. Gambit looked down on him, eyes burning with anger and agony.

"Okay," Xavier accepted, "Let's begin."

Gambit nodded. Leaning down, he lifted Sabertooth up into a slumped position and thought to himself, 'she's gonna hate me for doin' this.' Rogue tossed and turned in her hospital bed, uneasily dreaming. Gambit would never know it, but he was part of her dream. At first, she and he were fighting Sentinels, but then he turned on her and the reason for Rogue's tossing and turning was her and Gambit combating each other within her nightmare. The thought of betrayal scared her horribly, and it came out through her dreams.

Gambit took each of Sabertooth's hands and leaned them over to Rogue. Then a dreadful thought dawned upon him. He turned and asked the Professor, "What if it doesn't work?"

"Don't say that."

"But we don't have anoth'r option."

"This is why this must work."

Gambit nodded once more. But as he propped Sabertooth up he awoke. Unexpectedly to Gambit, he was boot kicked into Rogue's bed. Storm blocked Sabertooth and was flung into the adjacent wall, however she caught herself before she impacted and hovered in the air. "Lightening," she called, "Aid us!" Her eyes became an electric blue and from her hand blots of lightening were sent into Sabertooth's torso. This slowed him down, but not for long. He was able to withstand the lightening enough to get close to Storm, he grabbed her, whizzed her around and sent her flying into the Professor. Both soaring back and shattering the glass doors.

Gambit stood back up, hunching over with his hand resting on his now broken rib from where he collided with the bed frame. Sabertooth glared at Gambit, and Gambit returned the glare with all the spite that it was given. He growled, "You'd do all this for a girl? You've gone soft, LeBeau. What happened to all those late nights? You never gave a damn about them the next morning."

"She's different."

"Because you can't sleep with her. Ha!"

His crimson eyes blazed on their charcoal backgrounds. Without warning, he grabbed the IV that was no longer attached to Rogue's arm, charged it and sent it flying through the air at Sabertooth's head. He jumped out of the way and taunted Gambit again, "I bet you'd give anything to hold her. Eh, LeBeau?"

Gambit lunged for him, but was blindsided by his own anger and didn't predict Sabertooth's next move like he usually would. For a second time, Sabertooth boot kicked Gambit in the chest, much harder this time. He went flying into the wall on the other side of the room, breaking it and knocking him unconscious.

The Professor, just barely cognizant, tried to contact Rogue's mind. "Rogue wake up. Wake up. Gambit is hurt."

No response.

He tried again, "Rogue, Gambit needs you. Wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open and she hazily made out the scene of the room. She saw Sabertooth's nose crinkle in a blood-curdling growl. Then her head made a one-eighty and she distinguished Gambit's unconscious form lying in the busted wall's rubble. "No," she breathed.

Sabertooth had his back turned to her and she pounced. Her headache raging within her skull, she held on tight. Knowing she'd regret it, she raised her hands and took hold of each side of Sabertooth's face, draining him into unconsciousness. He fell to his knees and she rolled off his back with a grunt. She was still very weak, and didn't have the energy to stand. But she could feel herself changing. Rogue stared at her hands to see her nails grow into menacing claws, her hair grow down to her midsection and finally experienced her teeth transforming into fangs inside her mouth. When the final transformation took place her hospital gown was ripped and torn as she growled at the sky.

Rogue shakily stood up, using the wall to balance herself. She made her way back to her bed and plopped down, her head in her paw-like hands. The Professor was able to wheel himself over to her side. "Are you okay?" he asked concernedly.

She lifted her head and growled at him.

"Rogue, with his mutation your blood clots will heal and you will live."

"Ah know," she snarled.

He looked over at Gambit, "You'd be amazed what he went through for you."

Her nose crinkled and she bared her fangs, "He made me use mah powers. Now ah got anoth'r person inside mah head t'deal wit'."

"He did it to save you."

A low growl settled in throat, "Ah know."

Just then, Sabertooth started to stir. He slowly got to his feet and went after Rogue. She barrel rolled off the side of her bed as he smashed it. "Come here!" he shouted. She ran out of his way and found herself looming over Gambit.

From the opposite side of the room the Professor yelled, "You must absorb him."

"No!"

"You have no choice, he'll kill you!"

"Ah won't do it again!"

"Think of Gambit, he was willing to risk his life for you. You need to do this for him!"

"Ah won't!" she yelled while Sabertooth cornered her.

"He cares for you! And I know you care for him! You have no other option!"

"Noooooo," she shrieked as she gritted her teeth, lunging at Sabertooth and wrapping her bare hands around his neck. Rogue cried in agony as she absorbed every last bit of Sabertooth's consciousness. Her claws grew longer, her hair grew down past to her waist, and her cries turned into growls so deep even Wolverine would have sworn they had come from the real Sabertooth. She let go and slumped to the floor next to her victim.

Xavier rolled over and offered her a hand up. "Is he dead?" she asked worriedly.

He leaned down and checked his pulse, "No," he answered. Hearing that one word a rush of relief washed over Rogue, but it was short lived. The guilt of knowing she could permanently comatose someone came flooding back to her and she felt sick. To change the subject she asked the Professor if Gambit and Storm were going to be alright. "I'm not sure," he responded, "and seeing as the medical beds are shot lets lay them down in the living room, all the students should be asleep by now." She nodded and placed a sheet on top of her shoulder before resting Gambit over it. The Professor leaned down and carried Storm in his lap. Rogue could already feel Sabertooth's healing factor working within her, she felt herself regaining more strength every minute.

They laid each down on a separate couch and the Professor checked their injuries. Storm would have some cuts and bruises but be alright, but Gambit had a concussion and three broken ribs. Rogue pulled up a chair and sat with him for hours, at four in the morning he sluggishly awoke and peered up into the face of a Sabertooth-transformed Rogue. When he realized that she had taken the healing powers of his fellow Acolyte he smiled. "You're okay," he whispered hoarsely.

"Because of you. Y'fought your own team, y'coulda died."

"Y'_were_ going to die, and I couldn' lose you Rogue," he sounded serious; "I'd do anyt'ing f'r you."

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><p><strong>Hope that was enough hurt on Gambit for you, winchestergirl27. <strong>

**NO idea when I'll work on chapter 5!**

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION**


	5. Get The Hell Out of Here

It's chapter 5 time everyone. Not much to say here except happy summer!

R&R! and enjoy!

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 5: Get the Hell Out Of Here<strong>

Rogue awoke in the same living room chair she'd been in for two days. Once again, she looked down at claws and fur where she wanted to see a normal, glove-covered hand. She desperately craved to put back on her gloves, because even though she had Sabertooth's powers, she still had her own and hated not being completely covered when she knew she could accidentally hurt someone. This was one of her primary thoughts nowadays, especially after what she did to Sabertooth. It kept nagging at her, each and every day. It was slowly tearing her apart from the inside out.

Rogue raised herself out of the cushioned furniture and went to the kitchen. Searching through the top cupboard for some cereal that wasn't labeled 'Bobby's DON'T TOUCH' her mind drifted back to everything that had happened recently. The flirting during battles, the explosion, calling out his real name and actually telling him about it, all the fighting he did for her, and finally absorbing Sabertooth to almost the point of death. She was so lost in thought that she didn't realize Kurt popping in to get a bagel. Well, Kurt used this situation to his advantage and decided to have some fun with his sister so he snuck up behind her and squeezed her sides, causing her to snap out of her thoughts and jump four feet into the air.

"Surprise!" he cheered gleefully.

She growled at him from on top of the countertop. "What do y'want?" she screeched.

"How are you?" Kurt's voice was still teaming with delight. He offered his hand up to her in assistance of getting her down.

She refused and jumped down herself, digging her claws into the floor as she landed. "How do y'think?" she replied spitefully. Kurt tried to be serious and put his arm around Rogue for comfort. She flinched at the touch and bared her teeth at him. "Ah might be stuck like this, Kurt."

This time he tried to use humor to make her feel better, "Hey, at least I won't be the only furry one now." He managed a fake nervous laugh, but she just glared at him.

"He made me worse than a killer," Rogue sneered. Everything she said now was dripping with disdain; most people attributed that fact to Sabertooth, and they were probably correct.

"You don't mean that," Kurt said, "that's just your anger talking."

"You're wrong," her voice was dark, "Ah didn't just comatose him, Ah_ stole _him."

"You had no choice," he redeemed.

"Yes Ah did."

When she turned to walk out Kurt stopped her by grabbing her wrist, "Rogue," he said, but before he could say anything else she ripped out of his grip and left.

Rogue walked back into the living room to discover the couch Gambit laid upon earlier empty. 'Great,' she thought, 'now I have to find him too.' She was in no mood to deal with anyone, particularly Gambit.

She searched the guys' wing of the mansion first, hoping to just find him stealing something like a normal thief inside their enemy's base would, but then again he was far from normal and she knew it. Next, she explored for him in the girls' portion of the mansion. Thinking he'd probably be going through some unfortunate girl's dresser in search of souvenirs. But, once again she didn't find him. After that, she searched the Professor's office to make sure the weasel wasn't stealing files, he wasn't.

She was losing steam and her search was providing no results. To blow off her aggravation she decided to go to the danger room. Rogue pounded on the metal doors that lead into the danger room. She was too irritated to bother with the control panel. Instead, Rogue wrestled her clawed hands in-between the two doors and pushed them apart with all her strength, or with all of Sabertooth's strength. To her surprise, the one person she had just spent over an hour searching for was in there.

"You!" she growled.

Gambit stopped training and turned around, "Bonjour Chere," he purred.

"Why are y'in here?"

"Gambit has to practice his moves just like you X-men, non?" he answered, "that's all I'm doin'."

"Y'have three broken ribs, y'need rest."

"Gambit'll be fine."

"Y'r gonna kill y'rself Swamp Rat."

"Gambit'll be fine," he repeated. He wanted to prove to her that he was invincible and because of that she could always rely on him. But, the truth was his ribcage was aching horribly.

"Whatever."

Rogue hated seeing him now, every time she looked at him she was reminded of sucking the life out of Sabertooth. In addition to that, Sabertooth's psyche was becoming overwhelmingly dominate over the others and was clouding her thoughts. Her upper lip started to curl into a snarl, except this time she caught herself and stopped it. But Sabertooth's signature growl was resounding from her throat without her awareness. 'No, no!' she thought, 'he's taking over.' She fell to her knees screaming, "Get out of mah head!"

"Rogue!" Gambit ran over to her and dropped to his knees but the second his hand reached out for her she snarled and bit at him. He was forced to back away.

"No!" she started screaming. Rogue felt Sabertooth taking control of her thoughts. "Was she wroth it, LeBeau?" she growled in Sabertooth's voice. At that moment she reverted back to herself and screeched, "No, y'won't overcome me!" She was struggling for control in her mind and was able to utter, "Remy, help. Help me." Then she shrieked in pain and collapsed to the floor.

Gambit rushed through the mansion in search of the Professor. Needless to say, he had drawn a crowd, but Gambit didn't care, the only thing important to him was getting Rogue help. As it would turn out, his mob actually was of some assistance to him when Bobby piped up, "The Prof is in the war room."

Gambit wasted no time in running to the war room and all but breaking down the entrance. "It's Rogue," he gasped breathlessly, "Sab'rtooth, he's, he's takin' ov'r. She can't fight him much long'r."

Everyone rushed out. When they arrived at the danger room doors the Professor forced everyone to stay back, Gambit of course fought this order to best of his abilities but in the end was rejected and was forced to be a bystander. Xavier slowly approached Rogue, who was wriggling in pain and screaming against her inner demon.

"Rogue," Xavier whispered. She couldn't hear him. "Rogue," he tried again, "We'll fight him together." With that he placed his hands to his head and attempted to penetrate her mind. In her weakened state, he entered her mind quite easily, but it was a battlefield inside her head. Sabertooth's shade was strangling her own psyche with one hand, lifting her visibly off the ground. In here, she could not absorb anyone and she struggled to fight back but was still dreadfully weak. He was squeezing the life out of her, and slowly her eyes started to close.

The Professor was not limited by his disability within the mind and ran towards Sabertooth. In his hand materialized an electromagnetic-pulse gun and he fired at him repeatedly. Sabertooth growled at the tinge of pain he felt with each blast. Rogue gasped at her lack of air and wriggled beneath Sabertooth's grip, kicking at him in a last attempt to break free. In reaction to the Professor's weapon, Sabertooth hurled Rogue at him, causing them both to tumble backwards.

Rogue coughed and panted for air, although she could not get up and the Professor was forced to take Sabertooth alone. As he charged at him, a knight's armor and lance appeared around him and he tried to plunge it deep into Sabertooth's side. But, a knight's long sword materialized in Sabertooth's hand and he dashed out of the way then down-chopped the lance, trapping the Professor below him.

Outside of Rogue's mind, Gambit couldn't take it. He saw the agony on the Professor's face and Rogue still writhing in the fetal position and knew something was wrong. He didn't care about the orders; he went in, despite all the other X-men telling him to stay. Gambit dropped to his knees next to the Professor and pleaded, "Let me in there. I can help."

The sound of Gambit's voice resonated through Rogue's head and the Professor could barely make out the words. "Get back with the others!" he replied. And as he said it inside her mind his body repeated the words.

"No! Get me in there!" Gambit shouted.

"Then relax your mind," the Professor whispered.

He did so. While the Professor was sword fighting with Sabertooth he also found the power to take Gambit's psyche and transfer it into Rogue's mind.

As Gambit appeared within her mind he surveyed the unusual environment and saw Rogue unconscious in a heap on the ground and started to run to her. Just as he did the Professor said, "No, if we are successful she will be okay. You wanted in, now help fight."

Reluctantly, he turned away from her and reached into his pocket for a card. Charging it, Gambit hurled the explosive card at Sabertooth's head. Then, let fly six more all in a row. The blasts distracted Sabertooth enough for Xavier to slash his arm with his broad sword. Next, he sliced one of his legs and Sabertooth fell to one knee, clawing at Xavier through the smoke that was quickly clearing. While all this happened, Gambit snuck around to the backside of Sabertooth and roundhouse kicked his fellow acolyte causing him to fall to the ground bleeding and unconscious.

Breathing heavily, Gambit asked, "What now? He'll jus' wake up 'n hurt her again." At that moment, an outsized steel-rod prison cell appeared. "We just drag him in there?"

"No," Xavier responded, "There's a catch. Whoever takes him in there stays with him."

"I'll do it," Gambit said wasting no time.

Rogue slowly got to her feet and hobbled over to them, whispering, "No, Ah won't let y'sacrifice anymore for me."

"You can't stop me, Rogue."

"But I can," the Professor interjected.

"No," Rogue moaned, "the X-men need ya. No one else is gonna get hurt cause a'me."

"I will," a faint, yet thickly accented voice said from the background. All three turned around to see the shade of Remy that Rogue had absorbed during their first kiss.

"Whoever goes in there with him will be killed when he awakes," Xavier warned.

"I'm jus' Remy's shadow stuck inside my belle femme's mind. No harm will come from my ruin. Besides mes amis, whichever one o' you stays, your body'll be permanently comatose."

They agreed and the shadow of Gambit slowly drug the bleeding Sabertooth into the cell. As the door closed behind them, the bars melded together and they were sent to the depths of Rogue's mind.

Back in the danger room, all three opened their eyes at once. The Professor looked solemn because he knew even though they had won today; Rogue's mental battles were not over. However Gambit seemed to have only one concern on his mind: Rogue. He fell to his knees and bent over her. "Chere," he whispered.

She grumbled in response. Next, Gambit turned her over from her side to her back so he could see her face. Sabertooth's features, though still noticeably visible, were fading. Her eyes fluttered open and although she cherished Gambit and pretended not to, she was still upset that the first face she saw was his.

"Rogue," he whispered affectionately.

With all the love she had, she wanted to embrace and kiss him. But she knew she couldn't. So once again, for her safety and his, she put up emotional barriers and screamed at him, "You! This is y'r fault. Ah hate ya. Get the hell outta here!"

Gambit was shocked; he thought they'd really made some headway in their relationship. He was stunned, but he knew he shouldn't be. "No," he answered.

"It wasn't a question. Leave acolyte!"

"No."

Rogue growled at him, not knowing she still had it in her. "Go away."

"No," he said firmly, and then he turned to Xavier and announced, "I'd like t'join the X-men."

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><p><strong>oh yes he did! hahaha<strong>

**tell me what you think**

**Chapter 6 will be up whenever I get around to it!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION**


	6. First Day

This chapter is mostly about Gambit adjusting to life in the mansion and the abuse he goes through because none of them like him very much, WITH A SURPRISE ENDING!

Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 6: First Day<strong>

Gambit's first day as an "X-man" was no friendlier than the past few weeks he had spent there.

Rogue was still giving him the cold shoulder, even though he'd saved her life twice and she had saved him once. He still accredited that fact to Sabertooth, hoping he was correct but knowing in the back of his mind Rogue was regaining more control over her thoughts and actions everyday.

His initial day contained more of surviving obstacle courses and agitated teammates than wooing Rogue.

5 a.m. – Gambit's alarm went off. Something he was not accustomed to. He never used an alarm. Gambit assumed it was for breakfast, he was wrong.

Gambit walked down to the kitchen in his pj's, which were just a pair of navy blue sweatpants, no shirt, and found it empty. However, what he did hear were kids banging around upstairs trying to throw on their uniforms as fast as they could then running to the danger room to make sure they weren't late. 'Great,' he thought, 'well I'm already down here, minds well eat.' Subsequently Gambit walked to the refrigerator and scrounged around to find something he deemed worthy of eating. Nothing in the fridge was spicy enough for his Cajun palette so he decided to go to the danger room session with the rest of his "teammates".

Beast was running this session, and although the punishment was not as bad as Wolverine's would have been, Gambit learned not to be late again. Beast decided to turn the danger room hologram into a jungle infested with black panthers, hungry black panthers, and Gambit was the guinea pig.

One of the wild cats circled him, ready to strike. When it did pounce, Gambit whipped out his bo-staff and the cat bit it, breaking it in half. This was no bother to Gambit, he took one half in each hand and beat the machine disguised as a panther into a limp position, then to finish it off he kinetically charged the contraption's corpse and let it blow. He turned to the crowd of students and winked at Rogue.

She giggled like a school girl, surprising Gambit greatly. He thought he had scored some points with her, once again he was wrong. The real reason she was laughing was three more jungle cats were about to lunge at Gambit from behind. He was unaware of this until the cats were in the air; he twisted around in enough time to get pinned to the ground by the middle one. It growled and snarled in his face. But, he'd faced much worse than a few automated panthers before and kicked the underbelly of the machine causing it to buck up. He freed himself then sent explosive playing cards at one of the cats, forcing it to burst. Next, Gambit lunged for the second and kinetically charged the whole cat. Twisting around to kick it into the third panther, it slashed his arm with its jagged claws. Gambit's arm now bled; nevertheless the second cat went flying into the third in an immense explosion.

He turned to Beast, "Dat it?"

"For now," Beast answered while waving his hand signaling for Gambit to rejoin the group.

"What do y'think y'r doin' Cajun?" Rogue whispered callously at him.

"Bein' an X-man, Chere."

"Y'don't wanna be an X-man 'n y'know it."

"True," he whispered near her ear, "But I do want to be 'round you."

"Then go back t'Magneto 'n tell him t'pick a fight wit' the X-men."

"No."

She hated that word. Especially the way he said it, all smug and arrogant. Why did he have to be here? Constantly taunting her. Even though Rogue had enjoyed his company in the infirmary, that time was done and she wanted him to leave. 'Things were fine how they were,' she told herself, 'just seeing him in battles was all right. I don't know if I can take him being here 24/7.'

Even though he had rescued Rogue and put his life on the line for her, it seemed none of the X-men liked him.

"Okay," Beast announced, "We are in the jungle to practice teamwork. None of you have had breakfast right?"

The students grumbled in agreement.

"Good," he continued, "Because there is real food out there. The panthers guard it, and you are not only to steal food for yourselves, you are also to make a shelter. And here's the kicker, no powers!" He said the last part gleefully as if it was something to look forward to.

"Oh man," Bobby complained, "How long is this danger room session supposed to take?"

"Until you have _survived_. The Professor feels this will be a good team-building activity, so I hope none of you had plans for today," Beast stifled a chuckle. As he turned to leave the danger room he said, "Remember, work together."

Scott immediately took the lead and ordered, "Bobby, Rogue, Kitty and Jean go find the panthers and get food. Kurt and Gambit we're going to start on the shelter."

Amazingly no one argued. Rogue was still a bit on edge and hoped neither of her teammates would get on her nerves, or they might not be coming back from the panthers' cave. Gambit, on the other hand, didn't give a damn about his partners, he was just thinking of ways to get Rogue alone in a cozy little cot.

"Kurt, go find wood."

"Ay ay captain," Kurt joked then left into the jungle.

"And Gambit-"

"Remy, mon ami," he implored.

"I prefer Gambit. Scout out a good location."

"And what are you gonna do?" Gambit asked somewhat darkly.

"Gather necessary supplies," Scott chided.

Gambit huffed away into the jungle, hoping Scott would trip over a tree foot and get attacked by animals.

Meanwhile, Rogue, Bobby, Kitty, and Jean were having little luck finding the panthers or the food. But that may be because all Rogue could think about was Remy. She could no longer feel him inside her head and she knew why: his shade sacrificed himself for her, just like the real Gambit was willing to do. Suddenly, the image of their first kiss flashed in front of her eyes and she tripped over a root and fell.

"You okay?" Bobby asked.

Rogue lifted herself up and said, "Yeah, fine."

"Oka-" Bobby was cut short by the growls of a horde of wild cats. "No powers?" Bobby asked.

"No powers," Jean confirmed balling her hands into fists.

"Not a problem," Rogue said smugly.

Rogue rounded her foot into the side of one of the cats, as the other three took on ones of their own.

Hanging upside-down on a tree by his tail, Kurt was picking a bushel of bananas he had spotted. "Wow, I hope these are real," Kurt considered. His mind was also reeling, mostly of his sister. Kurt worried deeply for Rogue and felt he should warn Gambit to back off, but he'd be wasting his breath and he knew it. Kurt claimed his fruity prize and continued his hunt for usable wood.

Gambit was wondering around the jungle contemplating different ways to embarrass and demean Scott when he heard a fight in the distance. Hoping for some action, his blood started to pump as he searched for the source of the commotion. Gambit stumbled upon the goody-goody redhead psychic, the arrogant icebox, the annoying ghost girl, and his stubborn, emotionally damaged femme fighting off a multitude of wild cats. He wasted no time in assisting them. Whipping out a spare bo-staff he kept within his trench coat, Gambit used it as a pole-vaulter would and slammed feet first into a panther on top of Kitty. She blushed and thanked him.

"No problem petite," Gambit responded.

Rogue hadn't noticed he was there until she heard his voice. "Gambit?" she called.

"Oui mon chérie."

"Why are y'here? Ain't y'supposed t'be with Scott?"

"I find you t'be much bett'r company."

"Jus' go do y'r job lover boy and leave us alone," Rogue scolded.

"This," Gambit grunted while being leapt upon by a panther, "is more important."

She rolled her eyes and flipped the wild cat on her back that had attacked her from behind into the one on top of Gambit; in appreciation he tipped his head to her.

"I see the food!" Jean shouted, "Distract them so me and Bobby can nab it."

Kitty, Gambit, and Rogue drew the panthers' attention away and were soon circled by angry, snarling cats.

"Great plan," Rogue commented sardonically. She looked down at her hands, forgetting that since Sabertooth's shade was sent to the back of her mind she no longer had claws, she grabbed hold of one of the panthers by the neck. Her eyes glazed over and she looked as if she were in a daze.

"Rogue!" Gambit shouted as the panther slashed her arm and she began to bleed. Rogue didn't let go however or seem to really notice the blood trickling down her upper limb, instead she balled her hand into a fist and punched the jungle cat repeatedly until it was a mass of twitching, sparking dead machinery. All the other panthers fled. She stared down at it then began to blink slowly and regained her faculties.

"Wha-what did Ah jus' do?"

Her feet wavered beneath her and she fell backwards into Gambit, who caught her with open arms. "Y'okay?"

"Yea-yeah. Ah guess he's still in there somewhere, huh?" She tried to manage a fake laugh. This unnerved Gambit and he fastened his arms around her even tighter than before.

For a moment, she let herself go and be enveloped in his arms, but that moment passed quickly as Bobby and Jean came running back with arms filled to the brink with food yelling, "We got it! We got it!" Hearing this, Rogue quickly snapped back to reality and ripped out of his grasp. "Okay," Jean commanded, "Let's meet back with Scott and Kurt at the campsite."

'Shit,' Gambit thought, 'I was supposed to find the campsite for us.'

In time, they all met up in an open field of sorts that the trees and jungle circled. Kurt had several pieces of wood in his hands as well as many more being carried by his tail, and the bushel of bananas was held in his mouth swaying back and forth as he walked. Scott had procured many supplies also, while Bobby and Jean set all the food in a neat pile.

"Good job team," Scott commended, "I suggest small huts with palm leaves and other vegetation as roofs." He looked around at all the faces staring back at him and found only one with a smile on it: Jean. "Okay," he continued, "Let's get building, three to one hut, and four to the other." Bobby ended up sharing the hut with Jean and Scott, while Rogue, Gambit, Kitty, and Kurt took the other.

While raising up one of the walls of their hut Scott walked by Gambit and he purposely stood in his way so their shoulders hit. "You got a problem Gambit?"

"Non mon ami. I jus' t'ink y'should actually b'de team leader befo' y'start actin' like it."

Scott grumbled to himself then walked away before the two got into a fist fight and wreaked everything that had been built. Gambit chuckled, pissing Scott off even more.

Out of nowhere it began to rain… hard. Everyone knew this was because of Storm, it was a test. They quickly finished their dire little huts, grabbed some food and the necessary supplies for a campfire then huddled in.

In Scott, Jean, and Bobby's tent they had the fire going and were cooking and talking like friends do, not exactly enjoying themselves but staying in a semi-positive mood. Things in the other tent were different, but not in a bad way.

"Kurt, you like sure you know how to do this?" Kitty asked, she had never been camping in her life and was currently watching Kurt construct a campfire.

"Yes Kitty, I do," he smiled at her.

Rogue was sitting near the other wall, resting her head against it. Gambit came over to her and sat down, "Some first day."

She just tilted her head and looked at him, but made no response.

"Are y'sure y'r okay?"

"Fine," she answered emotionlessly.

"Hey," he placed his covered finger under her chin and tipped her head up, "What happened back dere?"

"Ah…" she shied her head away, "Ah lost control."

"We all do sometimes," he tried to console her.

"It's different, when y'guys lose it y'don't lose control of hundreds of different powers and personalities that weren't yours t'begin with. Gambit, it's scary. What if it isn't a machine next time? What if, what if it's you? Or Kurt? Or Jean?"

"Ch-" he tried to speak but was cut off by Rogue.

"Ah can't afford not t'be in control," she finished.

Before Gambit could get another word past his lips, Kurt shouted, "Ah ha!" He had gotten the fire started and Kitty was cheering.

Rogue stood up without another intimate word to Gambit and walked over to her brother, "It's about time," she joked, "Ah'm starving!"

"Fighting panthers on an empty stomach is like not very healthy," Kitty chimed in.

Soon after, the food was cooked and they were all sitting in a circle around the campfire eating.

Later on, the rain had let up and all seven met up outside of their shelters. "What now?" Kitty asked.

"Beast said we had to survive," Jean said.

"Haven't we done that?" Bobby scratched his head.

"I say we work on our huts and make them more resistant," Scott said with authority.

Remy stifled a snort, something about Scott annoyed the hell out of him, but then again he'd never been one to follow authority.

"Got a problem?" Scott sounded irritated.

"Course not," Gambit bowed, "sir."

That tore it. Scott lunged at Gambit and he side-stepped then kicked him in the back. Scott went after him again, but Jean grabbed his arms, "Scott! Calm down!"

Gambit laughed yet again.

"Come on Scott," Jean coaxed, "Everyone, let's search for more materials." With that, they all scattered into the woods except for Gambit and Rogue.

"Gambit, what are y'doin'?" Rogue shouted.

"In de guild, you gave respect t'de leader and de people that proved themselves better than you. Not t'little pretentious kids."

"Y'ain't in the guild anymore! And here we don't beat each other up t'show supremacy, we're a team." She stopped then looked sincere, something he hadn't seen in her eyes since he was in the infirmary with her. "Remy, y'r not here t'save me anymore. Y'r here t'be a jackass. Y'really think they like that any more than Ah do?"

"I'm here fo' you, y'have t'know dat."

"Ah do. And Ah won't let y'get hurt tryin' t'be wit' me. Its best if y'leave."

"No!" he shouted, "Don't y'see? I don't care if it kills me, I love you."

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><p><strong>What'd you think? Leave me a review.<br>**

**And If you have any ideas for later chapters, I am not adverse to hearing them.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION**


	7. Gambit vs Rogue

Hey hey hey!

Chapter 7 :)

I promise to start Chapter 8 soon.

I don't really have an author's note that so life changing I have to write it before you read this chapter.

So enjoy! R&R!

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 7: Gambit .vs. Rogue<strong>

Rogue was silent, and still. She resembled a statue; the only difference was her chest could be faintly seen rising up and down as she breathed.

Then she exploded...

"No! Y'don't! Y'don't love me! Y-y'can't."

"Why?" Gambit was trying to stay composed.

Rogue whipped her around and screamed, "Y'can't love what y'can't touch!" Then she took off. Ran. As far as she could. Rogue sprinted through the jungle to where she knew the Danger room doors were being camouflaged. "Let me out!" she yelled, "let me out! We did it, we survived. Now open these doors!"

Rogue received no response from the outside world.

"Ah know y'can hear me!" she tried again, "Get me the hell outta here!"

Still no response.

Meanwhile, Gambit was running through the jungle to find her but was having troubles following her trail, or lack there of.

Her adrenaline was pumping along with all her other hormones that began to get jumbled up inside of her as her vision started to blur. She had just enough control to shout, "Let me out!" one more time before she collapsed to the ground.

Gambit had finally caught up with her and saw her unconscious form in a heap on the soil. "Rogue! Rogue!" He darted over to her and slumped down to his knees. Gambit ran his hand over her heart to make sure she was still alive. He lifted her into his arms and brushed the hair out of her face. She was out cold, but her heart was still beating a mile per minute.

He held her in his arms, gently stroking her cheek with his gloved thumb. "Don't do dis t'me Rogue. Wake up. Wake up."

Turns out Beast and the Professor were actually not outside the danger room to hear Rogue's cries. Both were off for the moment monitoring Cerebro trying to find any trace amounts of Magneto or his two remaining acolytes, since an unconscious Sabertooth lay locked up in the basement of the mansion.

Gambit kept Rogue in his arms, still pleading, "Wake up mon Cherie, wake up."

He got his wish.

Rogue ever so slowly fluttered her eyes open, when she turned her head to see Gambit looming above her, she went berserk. Rogue shoved Gambit away from her and jumped to her feet. She looked angry and was gnashing her teeth. She started to circle around him with a livid glare that was locked to his eyes.

"Rogue," he ventured, raising his arm out in her direction.

"What Swamp Rat!" she snarled.

It was Rogue, but it was as if all her negative emotions had surfaced and overcome the rest of her body. She was fuming and looked as if she was ready to kill him. Her eyes almost appeared sunken in with dark circles about them.

"Rogue, calm down," he breathed, "Something's wrong."

Her head tilted into an evil grin and her eyes narrowed, "You're right," she whispered. "You are!" she screamed as she tackled him to the ground. Rogue straddled him right above the waist, a movement he would usually take immense pleasure in but seeing as she was ready to slaughter him he found himself more worried instead of elated. "Y'are all wrong, and now Ah'm gonna fix the problem."

"Rogue, please. You're not yourself."

Her hands slid up from his chest to his neck almost in a sensual way and she started to close off his airways. "Why would Ah want t'be myself? Untouchable. Forever untouchable!" Then she tightened her grip.

Gambit couldn't breathe, his eyes started to roll back into his head. He was swiftly dying. Gambit had refused to fight back for the reason that he had unwanted to lay a hand on Rogue in that sort of way ever again, but now he had no choice. Before he blacked out, Gambit grabbed Rogue's wrists, pried her off of him, and then flipped her on to her back. He pinned her wrists down together on one side of her but he did not get on top of her...this was his primary mistake.

"Calm down!" he couldn't help himself from shouting, "Somet'ing's goin' on in y'r mind. Dis ain't you."

She laughed at him. Then lifted her lower body up and wrapped her legs around his waist, another action he had always wanted to happen though not like this, and forced him to the ground again. "Don't y'see? All this anger has been there the whole time. Ah've simply been repressin' it. No more." She raised one leg up and hammered Gambit's side with it, causing him to gasp and cough as she stood up, leaving him.

When he had regained his breath Gambit argued with her, "I know you have rage. I do too. But you also have love and happiness. Where's dat?"

Rogue charged towards him and roared "It's gone!" as she sucker punched him.

Flying backwards into a nearby tree, Gambit saw he had no choice; he would have to fight back. Gambit reached into his pocket and took out a single playing card, charged it and whispered, "Forgive me Cherie," as he threw it at her.

To both of their surprises, Rogue lifted up her hand and shot ice out at the card, freezing it into a chunk of frost as it fell to the ground. He tried again, leaping and lunging in different directions to distract her, he was inches away from tackling her down to the ground when she ran with lightening fast speed to the other side of the clearing they were fighting in. Suddenly, she floated up into the air and with a tilt of her head Gambit once again felt the strain of a chokehold as Rogue telekinetically strangled him.

"No," she said, "Ah must kill y'wit' mah own hands." She dropped her hold on him and he fell to his knees. Rogue came down to his side and threw a right hook and he blocked it then undercut her legs. She fell to the ground but quickly got back up.

In-between all the punches Gambit asked her, "Why? Why do you want t'kill me?"

"You-y-y'make me want!" She yelled as she roundhouse kicked him.

"What?" he asked while he grabbed her foot and twisted her around.

"Befo' you Ah could handle mah mutation. Shut mahself off from the world and be okay. But not wit' you. Ah want t'touch y'and Ah can't. Y'r a temptation and Ah know sooner or later Ah'll hurt you by tryin' t'be wit' you. Ah refuse t'let that happen."

Their battle momentarily paused, he dropped her foot and she turned to face him, the circles slightly dimming. However, Gambit knew this was his only chance and he took it. He threw a left hook at her, and she automatically blocked with her right forearm as he knew she would. Her eyes began to progressively get darker and darker. Then abruptly he seized her arm turned his back to her, raised it above himself and brought it down hard, cracking it on his shoulder: breaking his Cherie's arm.

Everything seemed to slow down as she shrieked in pain. Rogue's head had begun to reel and throb once again; she stumbled away from him, her arm dangling, only a few feet before she started to collapse. Gambit ran to catch her and enclosed in his arms as her eyes were closing she whispered two simple words, "Ah'm sorry."

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><p><strong>He had just said he loved her, you knew there had to be a fight coming!<strong>

**Leave me a review. Tell me what you think! **

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	8. Rude or Sweet Awakening?

Hey everybody :)

I know its been like a month since I've updated, but I've been busy and I had a short session of writers bog!

Sorry!

Anyways, here's chapter 8!

R&R! Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Explosion of Every Kind Chapter 8: Rude or Sweet Awakening?<strong>

She laid thrashing in her hospital bed. Side to side, up and down arching her back almost to the point of snapping in half. Her eyes shut tight as she rolled and kicked. Then her head started battering back and forth as she began to scream and holler, "No! No! Noooo!" Rogue let out a deafening screech then shot up in her bed, awake and hyperventilating. "Wha-what?" She was bewildered and terrified. "Wher-where, where am Ah?" Her breathing still shallow.

Rogue looked down at her trembling hands as Gambit came running in against the Professor's orders. Xavier had thought that since he was the victim of her attack, he should not be the first one she sees when she wakes up. But when Rogue started screaming the two X-men that had been charged with keeping him out of the infirmary provided his adrenaline-pumped body little challenge.

"Rogue!"

She was still hyperventilating and seemed very lost. Gambit ran to her side and put his arms around her. The weird thing was she nuzzled herself as close as she could physically get into his strong chest. "Wher-where am Ah?"

"The infirmary," he answered breathlessly.

"Wha-what happened?"

He squeezed her as tight as he could into his chest but couldn't find the right words to answer her question. She looked around petrified then asked, "Why is mah arm in a sling, Gambit?"

Once again he squeezed her tighter, scared to answer her questions.

"Gambit, answer me." She had started to retract her body from his, but his sturdy arms prevented her from drawing away any more than half a foot. "Gambit, answer me," she repeated.

"You…I…we…well…" he had no idea what he was going to say, but he knew he had to say something soon.

Gambit's silence only increased Rogue's worry and panicked hands. She had no memory past running to the danger room door and demanding to be let out. And that awful dream she just had… it was as if everyone she absorbed was attacking her.

"Gambit," she edged him, "What happened?"

He squeezed her tighter again, and although she was scared and desperately wanted answers, she let him. Rogue would never admit this to herself or anyone else but she loved the feeling of his muscular, warm upper body.

After reveling in her body's warmth and feel, Gambit started to repeat the events of the day before, "You, you ran t'de doors and, well, I followed y'and when I got there, you, you had faint'd I t'ink…and when you woke up you, well…"

"Went mad," Xavier finished as he came in.

"Ah what?" she breathed.

"Rogue, have you been able to use the powers of the psyches locked inside you before?"

"What?" she was shocked, "of course not." Then she turned to Gambit, "Why'd he ask me that?"

"Rogue," the Professor said, "You used three peoples' powers yesterday within minutes of each other."

"That's impossible, ya know Ah can't control mah mutation lahke that." She paused for a second then asked, "What happened? Ah want the whole story." And she got the whole story. Since the Professor didn't know the intimate details Gambit was forced to tell her. It was the first time she had ever heard him stutter.

When he had ended, Rogue's face froze in a horrified look; her head began shaking violently back and forth, she pushed out of the safety of Gambit's arms and kept repeating the same word over and over: no. "No, no, no, no, no." She was inching her way away from him and fell off the bed with a thud.

"Rogue," Gambit said with increased worry.

She kept backing away from him while repeating that same word. "Ah knew something like this would happen, but y'wouldn't leave!" she shouted. Then she went back to shaking her head. She backed into the window on the south side of the room that overlooked the backyard. Her face looked like a feral puppy that was being cornered by animal control, even though the two men were on the other side of the room.

Gambit slowly crept his way toward her with his hand extended. She didn't move but she kept shaking her head. He was a few feet away now. When he got to her he lifted her up bridal-style. Rogue she was in shock and didn't fight when he touched the clothed part of her skin. He carried her back to the bed and laid her down. Her head still shaking no, but not as brutally.

Gambit decided to lay next to her; half propped up against the wall and positioned her head to rest on his chest as their legs intertwined. Perfectly safe because he was completely covered, even though she was in a hospital gown.

"Did y'mean it?" Gambit asked her.

She vaguely looked up, still with a petrified look on her face. "Mean what?"

"What y'said as we fought each other."

"Ah…uh…what did Ah say exactly?"

"Y'said y'had t'kill me because I made y'want t'touch."

Rogue drew in breathe like she wouldn't have a chance to do it again in years. "Ah…Ah don't know."

She was lying of course and they all knew it.

There was a long pause, Gambit knew now wasn't the time to pry, so he just pressed her closer to him.

The Professor had waited a respectable amount of time before saying to himself; "If you can choose which powers to use when you want…" then he trailed off.

"It ain't gonna do me, or anyone else any good if Ah can't control them." She snapped then lifted herself off of Gambit's chest and continued, "Ah have enough trouble containing mah own mutation, Professor."

"Yes, yes I know Rogue and I'm not trying to push you into anything, but we always knew this could be a possibility."

"Yeah, but we were supposed t'work on that when Ah was in complete control, and Ah definitely am not in complete control."

"I know," Xavier contemplated. He raised his hand up and placed his chin in it, thinking of everything that had recently happened quietly to himself.

A silence had settled in the room that was quite unnerving. Xavier was the one to break it by stating, "I think you're in good hands. I'm going to meet with Beast and see what he makes of this."

Both Gambit and Rogue nodded their heads. When he was gone, Rogue slowly lowered her head to its original resting place that Gambit had designated when he crawled into the bed with her. She was still scared of hurting someone else, especially Gambit again, but she forced herself to relax and soon matched Gambit's breathing as they harmoniously rose and fell together.

'She tries to murder me and now she's asleep on my chest. What'll happen next?'

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><p><strong>Thoughts? Ideas you'd like to share? Random ramblings you really want to tell me? <strong>

**Reviews are great places for all that! **

**haha and I have a grip on what chapter 9 will be but I love to hear your suggestions too**

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**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION  
><strong>


	9. Lost Inside

~Hey everybody~

Thanks for reading :) and here's chapter 9!

Nothing crazy important to write here.

So enjoy and R&R!

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 9: Lost Inside<strong>

"Argh," Rogue grunted as she was slammed into the large oak in the backyard by a laser. She scowled and rubbed the back of her neck. "That hurt!" she shouted.

"Keep going, Rogue. You can do this."

She thrust herself back up onto her wobbly knees; they'd been at this for hours.

"Focus!" rang out the Professor's voice.

Three laser guns rose from the ground and shot at her simultaneously. Rogue flipped over one blast and rolled past the next. Then, she stood still and tried to focus all her energy on her memory of him, then into her eyes… nothing happened, and she got shot again. This time she went flying into a cement bench, breaking it in half.

"Ouch! This ain't workin'! Y'said if Ah focused on the memory of the person it would work," Rogue hollered to Xavier from the other side of the field.

"Try harder. You can do this," he encouraged.

"Could Ah try without the lasers!" she screamed to him.

From that distance, she saw his head nod and hand wave her over. Rogue let out a huge sigh and lugged herself across the turf.

"Professor, it's too soon. Ah can't focus on just one and use it, Ah'm trying, but Ah can't." Rogue's bruised body collapsed onto the ground; she was exhausted; hours of training and repeatedly getting blasted into a variety of objects could do that to a person.

"You're stronger than you think, and more focused. Let's try Bobby."

She nodded her head, knowing this wasn't going anywhere and closed her eyes. Rogue's eyes jerked and jolted from side to side as she searched through her psyches and memories to find Bobby. Then, all of a sudden, her entire body chilled and when she breathed out frost could be seen. Her eyes shut tighter.  
>"Professor, Professor! Ah think Ah found him."<p>

Her excitement was short lived however. For when she opened her eyes and raised her hand up to freeze the tree in front of her nothing happened.

"Errrrr!" She stood up and punched the sky. "Ah touched him but couldn't get to him."

"Calm down, Rogue. That was a remarkable step forward."

"Ah'm not ready for this."

"We can take a break if you like."

"No, Ah mean Ah'm not ready t'be tryin' this. Y'said we'd work on touching before being able to manipulate other powers."

He looked down, almost ashamed, "I know what I said."

"So y'just planned to break our deal?" She was frustrated and he knew he should choose his words carefully.

"Of course not. But since you did it once, I bet you can do I it again when your fully conscious and in control."

Anger was boiling under her surface and she wanted something to punch relentlessly. "Whatever."

"Please Rogue, let's try once more then take a break."

She glared at him then nodded and asked, "Who?"

"Avalanche."

She nodded once more and shut her eyes. Inside her mind, she soared frantically. This, she had no control over, she couldn't slow down. All the people were shadows and the background was polluted by a dark, purple haze. She heard the shouts of a fight in the distance and hysterically followed. Her head swung back and forth, lost. The shadows were darker than usual and alarming; it seemed they were following_ her_. Then the charcoal smog her feet had been floating in started to shake and whatever lay beneath it began to crack with the sounds of a vicious thunderstorm. "Avalanche," she whispered. But when the dark cloud dispersed, Rogue plummeted through the cracks under her, screaming.

Her body was trembling so violently next to the Professor he decided to take her by the shoulders and shake her out of her own mind. "Rogue, come back. Come back. It's not worth it."

Her body went limp from fear and her eyes slowly opened. "We're going to take a break," he said sternly. Then he led her to the living room and set her on a couch.

Rogue had dozed off and had another nightmare similar to the one from the infirmary. When she awoke, the living room was empty and she was in a cold sweat. "Ah can't do this," she said to herself.

Rogue stood, not realizing how unsteady her legs were, and fell back onto the couch. She tried again, this time holding onto the table next to the couch for balance and managed to make it into the kitchen. She reached up to a shelf and found herself an apple to snack on. Halfway done with her treat, Xavier sent her a telepathic message to meet him in his office.

She arrived at his door, finishing off her apple, and entered guardedly. "Yeah?" she asked.

"I'd like to try something different," he offered for her to sit down in the open chair. "I'd like to, if you want, enter your mind and look through it before you go in blind searching for just one person."

"We're gonna explore mah mind?"

"In a sense, yes."

She was hesitant, but eventually agreed to the proposal.

Xavier placed one hand by both of Rogue's temples and they closed their eyes. When they opened them again they were no longer in his office.

The purple haze had turned red and foggy, the black bottom had mostly repaired itself and the shadows were more gray and flighty than dark and chilling.

"What are we gonna do now? Jus' walk 'round and talk t'everybody stuck in mah head?" she sounded surprisingly mordant.

He looked around then answered, "No, I have an idea. Let's try to look for someone."

"Who?"

"Let's say, Kurt."

"Okay," the second she knew she had a target the haze shifted into a darker blood red and the shades became stalking and mad. Rogue took a deep breath and they ventured towards a crowd of shadows. A few steps before they reached them a towering brick wall shot up from the ground. Rogue pounded against the wall for a solid ten minutes with no reward.

Xavier put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Calm down and focus. Don't think of breaking the wall. Think only of Kurt."

At that, she stopped hammering the brick barricade and breathed. "Kurt," she whispered. Then she sat down, not trying to find him, but letting him find her. "Kurt," she repeated.

Out of nowhere, the wall came tumbling down. Xavier smiled, "That's it." Rogue looked around, but suddenly lost it. All her concentration left her and she freaked as every shadow rushed her. They all tackled her at once and her screams became muffled. At that moment, Xavier broke the connection and they both retreated out of her mind. She, gasping for air, when regaining consciousness.

"No! Ah won't do that again," she protested.

"You were so close," he persuaded.

"Ah was almost suffocated by the people in mah own head!" She shook her head back and forth as if trying to jostle everyone inside it.

"No one said this would be easy."

"You, you," she started to stand and pointed at the Professor, "you're insane. Ah won't do that again."

"Perhaps in time," he offered.

"Not in this lifetime!" Rogue retorted.

He simply nodded. And she stormed out, but right before she slammed the door she had a thought and turned back to Xavier and asked, "How come they didn't attack you?"

"I'm not sure," he answered plainly.

"Great," she commented, "Ah have a suicidal mind that's only after me. Perfect." Then she stormed out.

Rogue made her way down to the living room for some mindless television or perhaps a book to read to get her mind off of the events of the day. But when she rounded the corner into the living room instead of finding peace and solitude, she found Gambit. Gambit, lolling on the sofa with his arms bent and hands clasped behind his head. He smiled at her from where he lay and she shrugged it off with a sneer. After realizing what she had done in the infirmary she wasn't going to give him another inch of her attention. To think, she actually let him sleep with her in the bed! 'What was I thinking?' she reprimanded herself. Now she was determined to avoid him. But it was too late for that at the moment…

"Hello chere," he purred.

'No wonder he was in such a good mood,' she thought. Rogue turned her head as if she didn't hear him and sat on the spare sofa picking up whatever paperback novel happened to be next to it.

"Nice day," his thick Cajun accent made this more of a come on than a comment. Rogue just shoved her nose farther into the book. "Y'can't ignore me forever," he remarked.

"Ah can try."

"Aren't we goin' t'talk 'bout what happened?" he ventured.

"Nope," she said certainly.

"Rogue," he said while he reached out to touch her. As he did however her legs recoiled and tucked into her chest.

"Nothing happened," she lied, "Ah was just confused and sc-scared." She didn't like admitting she had been scared, but if it got her out of talking about what happened she would gladly admit that.

"Y'were scared so y'reverted back to y'r feelin's an' instincts."

"Y'insinuatin' that Ah wanted t'do what Ah did?" she questioned callously.

"Yes," he acknowledged boldly.

"Then y'r crazier than the Professor." With that proclamation she turned her head and continued reading.

"Fine. Then y'give me no choice."

"Huh?"

Before she realized it, Gambit was on his feet and looming over her; he bent down and scooped her up, bridal-style of course. "Gambit!" she shouted. Rogue was kicking and pounding her fists against his chest, she even contemplated knocking him in the head with her book. "Gambit put me down!" He walked over to his couch, struggling to keep his grip on her and they plopped down together. "Gambit!" she screamed again as she batted him away from her. She was lying on her back and he landed to the side, slightly on top, of her. She started to elbow his chest, "Get off!"

"No. Jus' relax."

"No! Get off."

He knew it would take some fighting for her to calm down so instead he did this: smooch! Gambit leant down and kissed Rogue on the lips, willingly putting himself in a coma.

She pushed herself out from under his unconscious body, cursing the whole time, and fell with a thump on the living room floor. She pressed herself upward using the couch as leverage, when suddenly a surge of pain resonated through her skull. "Ahhhhh," she cried as her knees buckled below her. "Not another person. Ah can't take it!" At that moment Rogue collapsed to the floor, panting. Her strength came slowly back to her and she grabbed fistfuls of the floor rug to relieve the pain in her head. "Gambit, you fool!" she bellowed as the rug started to glow pink. "No, Ah didn't mean to- shit." Rogue scooped up the carpet, unlatched the nearest window and sent it flying. The younger students thought they had seen fireworks in the backyard.

She took several deep breaths and sat on the floor. "Inner search. Inner peace? All Ah have to do is fahnd one person," she instructed herself. Rogue closed her eyes tight and crossed the threshold into her mentality. When she opened her eyes her psyches weren't on the prowl, they were tranquil and floating about as if she wasn't there. The mist had turned a light blue and some of them even spoke to her. They had color now, although it was distinctively duller than the originals'.

"Hey Stripes," rang out a familiar voice.

"Logan?" Rogue endeavored.

"Yeah, who you looking for?"

She hadn't thought about it; she decided to venture for someone else this time. "Jean," she answered.

"Check that way," he pointed in a specific direction with a bottle half full of beer in his hand.

"Thanks."

Many of her shades tended to drift about without a purpose, trapped. But the various ones that she knew better or had absorbed more than once stopped to talk to her. Rogue had found the redhead peering out of a floating window, still with that can-do grin on her face, though it was noticeably faded.

"Jean?"

"Hey Rogue," she sounded like herself, only sadder than usual.

"Y'r not happy 'bout bein' in here, Ah wouldn't be either."

Jean smiled at her. "I'm not in her, well not all of me. I'm here to you, but the real me doesn't feel as if she's lost any part of her mind."

"Really?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Ah wanna try something," Rogue said hesitantly. Then she reached out her hand and Jean took it. The instant Jean touched her, Rogue snapped back into reality, knowing she could do this. Rogue lifted her arm and with a flick of her hand levitated the nearby flower vase into the wall, shattering it. Her breath hitched, and then she tried again. Rogue levitated the book she was reading toward her, next, as an experiment, she used Gambit's powers that she was forced to have for the time being and kinetically charged the novel. When she realized what she had done, Rogue telepathically tossed the story out the open window.

She tried once more, but the television remote would not come to her. She had lost focus during the explosion and was no longer linked to Jean. "Damn," she whispered. After that, she sat on the floor, her back leaning against the couch where Gambit laid unconsciously drooling into a pillow, and thought. "This changes everythin'. But Ah have t'be calm and stay focused, that'll be a bitch durin' battles, but Ah'll learn, Ah'll learn…. and Ah'll get better, much better."

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><p><strong>What'd you think?<strong>

**By the way, I want to thank Raven34link for leaving a review on every chapter, you rock for that. **

**And thanks to _everybody _who leave reviews, they are priceless to receive for an author.**

**I'll be working on chapter 10 soon, so much love! and bye for now.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION**


	10. Keeping Secrets

Hello Everyone!

Chapter 10 :) Yay, yippee, whoohoo!

Nothing to say here except I have no idea when I'll work on chapter 11

Hope you enjoy and R&R! as always

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 10: Keeping Secrets <strong>

Rogue refused to tell anyone what had happened. After her outburst at the Professor she declined to acknowledge that she actually went back and took his advice. No, she was too proud for that.

Now, she merely stalked around the mansion, hands in her pockets, head down, and thought silently to herself. Other students had noticed her change in behavior, but after everything she had recently been through they thought it smart not to pester her.

It had been two days since Gambit kissed her and she was staying as far away from him as she could. When he had awoken from his mini-coma he had found Rogue to be gone, along with a rug and a book. Gambit had smiled to himself, realizing why the rug and book suddenly disappeared. He knew no one would have come running in because when he got bored he liked to cause "small" explosions, even if they got him in quote on quote trouble. It entertained him when Rogue wasn't around.

Gambit, usually up on every event of Rogue's life, had astonishingly not known of her training with the Professor, in the infirmary when Xavier mentioned it he was certain she wouldn't have anything to do with it for some time, as a result he was unaware of her newfound control…. everyone was.

It was almost noon, and seeing as it was the weekend, just about everyone was still in bed. However, Rogue had had troubles sleeping and was up bright and early, still in her pajamas although. At the present moment, she sat at the dining room table with a mug of coffee that had no doubt gone cold by now and a half eaten Danish. She was lost in thought or maybe she was trying to harness someone's power? Either way, her concentration had broken when Scott walked in. He looked over and saw her almost in what looked like a trance with her eyes glazed over.

"An angel is like you Kate and you are like an angel," he said as he sat across the table from her. Scott hoped that would get her to look up.

"Huh?" she snapped out of her funk, then remembered, "Oh, uh…yeah." Then, Rogue shook her head a bit as if clearing it of everything she had been previously thinking in preparation for a new conversation.

"How've you been?" he asked gingerly.

"As well as one can be thought t'be doin'."

"I heard you had a little breakdown in the Professor's office," he hoped he didn't bring that up to quickly and force her to retreat back into her thoughts and away from their conversation.

She pretended a laugh, "Y'could say that."

"Well if you need anything I'm here."

"Okay," her voice was emotionless. She sounded like this whole experience, Scott thought, hadn't hardened or softened her but that it had taken _no_ effect on her. But then again, Scott also knew she was very good at hiding her true thoughts and feelings. With that, he smiled at her and left. She had already fallen back into her self-induced daze before he had had time to exit the dining room.

This time she was thinking. Thinking of methods to help her stay calm, focused, and connected to a psyche (or more than one) during a battle. So far, she had nothing. One thought kept protruding into her contemplation: the Professor could help. 'No!' she would tell herself. 'I'm strong enough to do this myself.' She also knew it wasn't a matter of being strong, but proud. And man, Rogue was proud!

She hadn't tried connecting with anyone in her head since smashing the vase, but now that she wanted to join with them for a temporary time their voices had become much louder in her head, giving her on-going headaches. A side effect that Rogue hoped was short-lived. Because even with avoiding Gambit in the mansion, she could not avoid him in her head. Rogue kept hearing suggestive things whispered to her in a thick Cajun accent, and when she turned to punch Gambit in the face or elbow him in the gut, the room she would be in would be empty.

But since everyone was in bed it seemed, except Scott, Rogue was ready to try again. She surveyed the room and listened carefully for footsteps incase a student or teacher had woken up. When she deemed that no one was there or coming she attempted to relax her mind, she'd been a bit on edge since the kiss. 'Breathing,' Rogue thought, 'I'll start with breathing.' She took a particularly long inhale through her nose then exhaled through her mouth. She repeated this several times until she could actually feel her pulse slow. Next, Rogue closed her eyes. It was as it was the last time she had dared to enter her mind: blue mist and slightly animated shadows. But they were still floating about without a purpose, still trapped, still shut in. Knowing that made Rogue feel sick to the point of clutching her stomach to keep from vomiting, but she couldn't think of that now. She wasn't sure who she was looking for, if anyone at all. But right then, her feet started fleeting under her and her breathing became shallow. 'No!' she thought, 'Maintain control!' Rogue's eyes started darting back and forth frantically; she was losing control, and fast.

"No!" she shouted aloud and gripped the dining room table with both hands, "Just breathe," she reminded herself. Inside her head, her feet slowly started walking again but her breathing refused to return to normal. 'C'mon Rogue,' she thought to herself. She explored her mind at a half run half walk pace with her breathing still not all the way back to regular. But now, she knew who she wanted to find, someone with a power a little less destructive: Kurt.

However, she wasn't completely calm and it was as if her psyches felt it, and 'why shouldn't they?' Rogue thought, 'After all they're_ in_ my head.'

Soon, she had regained her slow rhythmic breathing, much to her satisfaction. Then she began her search. Rogue saw Jean still staring out her window, but decided to go past her without conversation. Next, she saw Gambit. (Outside her mind in the dining room, her fists clenched at the sight of him.) He was sprawled out on a couch, like how he had been two days ago, only in here he was lighting a cigarette and playing a game of cards, just waiting to see Rogue.

"Bonjour chere."

She tried to walk by without talking to him, but obviously that wasn't his plan.

"Y'come t'see Gambit?" he continued.

"No," she whispered, not wanting to have to deal with him in here as well as out there.

"I t'ink you did."

"You'd be wrong, Swamp Rat."

He stood up, discarded the cigarette, and walked straight up to Rogue. Sweeping white bangs out of her face he said, "You know you're very beautiful Ro-"

She cut him off before he could say her name, "Where's Kurt?"

Gambit shrugged his shoulders, and she walked away from him.

"Wait," Gambit called out to her. Rogue turned her head, but didn't stop her feet. "Your brother is dat way, chere." He pointed with his finger to the way he was trying to indicate.

Rogue nodded her head and thanked him.

She wondered through the fog, seeing many shades at once then none at all. Suddenly, she saw a tail whipping back and forth in the sapphire haze, a tail that matched the color of the haze. She walked up behind him and said, "Kurt?"

Much to her surprise, he turned around with a shock and yelled "Rogue!" very happily, then gave his sister a bear-hug. She was stunned, but hugged back. When she did, her eyes suddenly opened and she saw the dining room once again.

"Touch," she recognized, "that's how Ah connect wit' them." Then she rolled her eyes, "How ironic." After that, she used Kurt's power and teleported to the backyard with a little squeal of happiness. Next, to the front yard, where she accidentally landed in the angel fountain, soaking the bottom of her pants. Rogue was almost too excited to notice and popped back into the dining room where she found an uninvited guest waiting for her.

"You," she said, "Leave!" Rogue stood in front of him on the other side of the table pointing to the door.

He reached over and picked up her mug of cold coffee then took a sip before he answered, "No."

"Leave," she repeated, not as harsh.

"I want t'talk, chere."

"Gambit, Ah got nothin' t'say t'ya!"

"Then answer me just one question," he offered.

"Will y'leave after."

"Maybe," he said slyly.

Her nostrils flared in anger but she replied, "Fahne."

"De teleportin' now, de smashed vase two days ago. Y'planning on telling anyone?"

She shied away from him. "Not yet. Ah just got how t'do it."

"Rogue-"

"Y'know y'r in mah head again!" she snapped at him. "All because a'your dumb kiss!"

"I'm sorry chere," he said.

She was too mad to hear this. "Y'must think y'r something special don't you? Gambit the charmer, Gambit the womanizer, Gambit, Gambit, Gambit!" At this, she broke down and fell to her knees.

"Chere!" He rushed around the table to her side, "Rogue-"

Tears had formed in her eyes, but she refused to let them roll down her cheeks. "Look at me," he directed in a soft tone. When she wouldn't he placed his gloved finger under her chin and turned her face towards his. "Listen to me Rogue." She shook her head; she didn't want to hear what he had to say. "I love you."

"No!" Rogue threw her hands over her ears, "Don't y'remember what happened last time y'said that t'me?"

"I don't care," he panted, "you and I know it's true!"

She shook her head back and forth in a dreadfully violent manner. "Rogue!" he caught her by the shoulders and spun her around to face him, "Do y'feel the same way?" They both knew the answer, but instead of replying Rogue ported away. But, unfortunately for her, Gambit was holding her and came along for the ride.

They appeared in the angel fountain coughing from the cloud of sulfur gas that followed. The waterfall from the crown of the fountain poured onto their heads, soaking them. "Y'can't run away from me," he told her.

Rogue glared at him then said, "Watch me!" But right before she ported away again Gambit grabbed her wrist and went with her.

This time, they found themselves on the roof of the mansion.

"Rogue, listen to me," he started.

"No."

"We need t'talk." When she didn't reply he continued with a softer inflection in his words, "Whatever y'r going through I'm not leaving y'r side."

"Look where that got ya," Rogue whispered more to herself than him.

"Rogue-"

"No!" She wouldn't hear anymore and she suddenly bent down and swung her leg under him, causing him to fall on his ass and tumble down the slant of the roof.

"Ahhhhhh!" his voice was heard descending from the gutters he'd caught onto but that had bent and broken beneath his grip.

When Rogue realized what she'd done she slid to the edge which he disappeared over yelling, "Remy!" Leaning over the rim of the roof she saw Gambit dangling from a balcony that lead into a room on the second floor. "Y'r not injured?" Her voice sounded relieved.

"Dat's a matter of perspective, Chere," Gambit huffed through swinging himself up onto the balcony. "Now come down here."

She glowered at him from the roof as she jumped down to the balcony, but they both knew she was genuinely concerned.

"Y'know sooner or later Xavier will find out."

"When Ah want him to," she commented.

"You've been acting different, y'really think he doesn't already know?"

"You didn't."

"I do now…y'should tell him. He could help."

She looked down at her feet. Gambit knew she was too proud for that, but he was determined. Whatever was best for her he would make happen, and he was sure this was best.

They both heard a sudden noise and turned their eyes on the bedroom doorway. "He's right," Xavier wheeled out onto the balcony with them, "I could."

Rogue had the expression of a deer caught in headlights.

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><p><strong>Did you expect that to be the Professor's room?<strong>

**I don't think so!  
><strong>

**What'd you think?**

**Leave me a review and if you have any ideas for future chapters let me know! I always like suggestions**

**Til next time!**


	11. How Many Arrivals Is Too Many?

Hey Everybody!

Sorry I haven't updated in like a month, but school's started and I've had a ton of homework

Anyways! Chapter 11 doesn't have as much dramatic emotion as 10, but I think you're going to like it!

R&R! and Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 11: How Many Arrivals Is Too Many?<strong>

"Hell yeah!" Rogue shouted, exhilaration flowing through her voice. "Professor, Ah did it!"

Xavier smiled gaily in the control booth of the danger room. This was Rogue's fifth session of learning to possess someone else's powers, and she had just, using Magneto's powers, torn out a buzz saw from within the danger room walls and twisted it into the size of a baseball.

"Congratulations Rogue!" Xavier cheered into the microphone. "I think you are ready to apply your new skills while battling with other students."

"Y'think?" Rogue yelled up to the Professor.

"I'm positive," he responded.

"Ah'm not so sure, Prof," Rogue hollered, "Ah mean Ah can have power over one of my psyches now, but Ah gotta be one-hundred percent focused."

"Well let's start with just one person then." He buzzed open the doors and called into the microphone, "Gambit, you may come in."

Gambit marched in with perhaps to much of a confident glow about him. "So chere, still don' wanna talk?"

Rogue looked irritated and glanced up at the control room shouting, "This ain't a good idea!"

"I disagree," Xavier stated simply.

"Okay," Rogue whispered to herself as she cracked her neck in preparation of a fight. She closed her eyes and within seconds her body was solid ice. Gambit was impressed and his face must've shown it because Rogue made a sinful smirk. "What's wrong Gambit? Worried y'won't win?" she taunted.

"Non, jus' takin' in d'view," he returned her smirk with one just as wicked, "Y'are breathtaking after all Chere."

Her eyes narrowed; she had heard enough talk. Rogue lunged at him, although she had Bobby's powers she was still keen on hand-to-hand combat. Her first punch missed as Gambit pounced behind her, grabbing both of her arms except he was forced to quickly let go from ice burn. As he started to stumble back, Rogue sent her head flying backwards and head butted him, causing him to lose his balance.

Both X-men took a momentary pause to regain their composure then leaped at each other once again. Rogue threw the first punch for a second time, and hit Gambit directly in his abs. He staggered back coughing and received a roundhouse kick from his beloved Rogue next. He recovered, and then countered by running past her and elbowing her in the back. She lurched forward then spun around and froze his feet to the floor. Gambit tugged and jerked at his feet to free them, but couldn't get loose. As Rogue approached him she had no intent of hitting him again, instead she declared, "Y'r holdin' back." Then asked, "Why?"

Gambit took in a deep breath then replied, "I was told y'might be a little off y'r game."

This was one of the most insulting things he'd ever said to her and she was appalled. "Off mah game? The whole point of trainin' wit' someone else is so that Ah can see if Ah'll be on mah best game in a real battle! An' how can Ah do that if y'r holdin' back?"

"I jus' didn' want t-" Gambit started.

"T'what? Hurt me?" Rogue interrupted. "How gentlemen of you! Now are y'gonna fight me or what?"

This time, Gambit's eyes narrowed and at that moment he sent three playing cards soaring from his hand: one at each of his feet to break the ice and one at Rogue. She plummeted back in a variety of somersaults until she hit the cold, metal wall. When she recuperated, her icy eyes were glazed over with fight lust, while Gambit's were full of hot determination.

Gambit ran at her, and right before he would have hit her, he slid down to the ground with one leg crouched and the other straight out. Entrapping Rogue between his legs he sharply twisted his body and forced her to crash to the floor face down. She wriggled and twisted to face him then shot ice beams from each hand, freezing his chest, neck and shoulders to the ground. Next, Rogue lunged herself on top and straddled his waist. She placed a hand on each side of his head and leaned down, saying with a grin, "Ah win."

Gambit smiled as well and confessed, "I guess y'do."

From the control room, Xavier leaned into the microphone and said, "Nice job you too. Rogue, there is a danger room session at 7 in which every student will be at, I would like you to attend as well and further perfect your new talent. Dismis-"

But the Professor was cut off by the boisterous sound of a chopper landing in the flight bay. "Logan," Rogue breathed, and then promptly took off.

Rogue about burst through the hanger doors with anticipation of seeing Wolverine. It had been almost a month since he'd left without saying good-bye. Logan descended the steps and sure enough Rogue was the first face he saw. It pleased him to see her again, and especially out of the infirmary. But boy, had he missed a lot! And Rogue was sure he wouldn't be happy to know that a discontented Sabertooth was being held in the basement and a smug Gambit was now a part of the team.

"Logan," Rogue celebrated, "Y'r back," she said as she gave him a hug. Rogue was in a much better mood than usual, he thought to himself.

"Hey Stripes, glad to see you out of the infirmary."

"Logan, a lot has happened since y'left."

The tone in her voice worried him, and the scent on her skin concerned him even more: she smelled akin to spices and smoke.

He dropped his bag, "Tell me."

Rogue started from the beginning. She told him of her blood clotting and how they were running out of time, and since he was gone they turned to Sabertooth. Rogue explained of Gambit battled his own team members for her and how she was forced to absorb Sabertooth twice, she informed him of the mental battle Xavier and Gambit fought inside her mind to rid her of Sabertooth and of Gambit's first day of training. Rogue notified Logan about her almost killing Gambit and of her new control… she told him almost everything, save for the private moments involving her and Gambit. Then she waited for a response.

It wasn't everyday Wolverine was at a loss for words, but after that all he could do was blink stupidly.

"Logan? Are y'still there?" He didn't respond, so she thought she should show him, "Watch." Rogue raised her hand and it turned to ice, next she shot a puddle of frozen water onto the flooring. Wolverine still made no sound or motion in reply.

Then without warning, the doors swung open and in ran Gambit. "Rogue-" Before he could finish his thought, Wolverine started shuddering with rage and his claws slowly slid down from between his knuckles, which had turned white from balling his hands into fists. Rogue looked worried and her glance shifted frantically from Gambit to Wolverine, apparently to Logan everything Gambit had done for her was not enough to permit him a spot on the X-men's team.

"Remy run!" she screamed as Logan lunged forward, claws first.

Gambit, on the other hand, had no intention of running. He would fight and prove his worthiness to Wolverine. But Rogue wouldn't bare the thought of either of them hurting the other so she tapped into Quicksilver and ran in-between them. "No!" she shouted, shooting her arms up to stop both men. The second they saw her they were both brought to a skidding standstill. "Y'two ain't gonna kill each other. He's an X-man now! And so are you, so get along! Or as close t'along as y'two can get." Both men huffed and puffed, but restrained from murdering the other for now.

Subsequently, Wolverine grabbed his bag off the floor and grunted, "I gotta talk to Chuck," as he walked past Rogue he said, "It's good to see you again Stripes." And as he walked past Gambit he purposefully bumped his shoulder with his own and tried to knock him down.

Rogue let out a huge sigh of relief and walked over to Gambit, "Why didn't y'run? He woulda killed ya."

Gambit snorted, "Let him try."

"Y'r funeral," Rogue commented.

"I didn't know y'cared so much," Gambit chuckled.

"Oh Ah'm sorry. Did Ah give ya'll the impression that Ah cared?"

Gambit paid no attention to this last comment and swept his arm around Rogue's shoulders saying, "Is time t'eat, no? Let Gambit cook y'somet'ing nice."

"What are y'doin'?" she asked indicating his arm around her. "We ain't together."

"Not yet, Chere."

"Not ever, Swamp Rat." Then she pushed his arm off of her, but made no attempt to shove him completely away from her. "But Ah do love southern food."

They made it to the kitchen with about an hour to go before the nighttime danger room session. Gambit went straight to the refrigerator and pulled out a batch of crawfish he had recently bought, as Rogue took a seat on one of the high-tops that surrounded the granite covered island. "Crawfish? Damn, that's original," Rogue teased.

"Original ou pas, vous allez les aimer**1**," he crooned.

"Gambit, y'know Ah don't know that much French," she reminded him.

"Then I'll just have t'teach you," he flirted. But she had a feeling he wasn't talking about the language anymore.

He had finished boiling the crawfish and served them to her raging hot in spice and temperature, which in his opinion was the best way to eat them… and Rogue had to agree, they were delectable.

After the two southerners had finished their meal Gambit said, "I told you you would love them."

"Oh, is that what y'said?" she played.

"Oui," he whispered in her ear.

Their conversation was cut short by the Professor's mental message to remind everyone to report to the danger room, leaving Gambit very disappointed. They set their plates in the sink and took off towards the danger room. 'Great timing, Xavier,' Gambit thought as they walked down the halls, 'couldn't have given me just a few more minutes?'

The word no resonated through his mind in the Professor's voice. "Do y'hear that?" he asked Rogue.

"Hear what?"

"Never mind."

Rogue and Gambit arrived at the danger room and meet up with Kitty, Kurt, Scott, Jean, Amara, Bobby, Sam, and Ray. Inside the doors they all found a maze waiting for them. But this wasn't like a normal maze; the walls were continually changing, some ascending up from the floor and others descending down into it. Then Xavier's voice came over the speakers, "Find the box within the maze, and beware of obstacles. Powers allowed, and the team cannot split up."

"Okay," Scott said, "Let's go!" (Even Gambit was in too good of a mood to comment on how Scott was overcompensating for something.)

All ten ran headfirst into the maze, and as they made their first turn the walls changed and split the group in two. "Kitty faze everyone through," Jean shouted from the other side. She did so and the team continued on.

Another wall shot up in front of the group and was electrified. "No problem," Ray beamed as he attracted all the charge into himself, and then blew the wall to bits. They ran on and hit one of the actual danger room walls that couldn't pop up and down and a giant turret gun flipped out and started firing at the group.

"Mine!" Rogue shouted as she tapped into Magneto's powers once again and forced the barrels of the gun to twist and fire upon itself. Everyone, except Gambit, was dumbfounded.

"Like what just happened!" Kitty yelled. But while everyone was staring at Rogue large metal tentacles shot out from the floor and captured Bobby, Amara, and Kurt. Snapping back into reality, Amara melted her tentacle and toppled to the floor, where she melted the bases of the other two as well. Everyone pressed on, still searching for the mysterious box.

When abruptly the entire wall rumbled and shook violently. They all prepared for another turret gun or more tentacles. Then all of a sudden the wall was ripped apart from the rest of the building, light poured in from the outside and in hovered Magneto.

"Charles, I'm here for my acolytes," he announced, not seeming to care about the students below, just staring into the control room. But at that moment he peered down and saw Gambit covering Rogue from any debris with his body. "Come Gambit, your time as an X-man is over." He stopped for a second then lied, "I have all the information I need."

"I knew it!" Scott shouted. "He's been here as a spy all along!"

"No! I haven't, I swear!" Gambit tried to defend himself, but it was too late. Cyclops had already fired a full-force optic blast at him, and Gambit went tumbling into a retractable wall. Not wanting to hurt Scott and prove him right, he didn't fire back. Scott went to fire again, and as he did Rogue jumped in the way.

"NO!" She tapped into Jean's powers and put a shield around her and Gambit. However, it couldn't hold very long against Scott's blast. "Y'will not hurt him!"

"He's with our enemy," Scott told Rogue, "He has been all along."

Rogue turned her head to look at Gambit. As he stood up he shook his head and mouthed the words 'I love you'. She was confused, yet overcome by emotions all at once and couldn't concentrate on the shield anymore. It dropped, and to prevent her from being hit by the optic blast Gambit took her into his arms and turned his back to Scott, taking his blast in full.

"Come now Gambit," Magneto said, "You've gone soft." He lifted the floor beneath Gambit's unconscious body and carried him away. Just before he had gone from eyesight Magneto turned around and informed his old friend, "Oh, and Charles I'll be wanting Sabertooth back as well."

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><p><strong>Did you like it? PLease tell me what you think<strong>

**Chapter 12 will come whenever I have time to write it and I'm thinking it'll have betrayal in it!**

**Much love, til next time**

**Oh and if you caught that little bit of the conversation from the comics, CONGRATS TO YOU  
><strong>

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION

Original or not, you will love them**1**


	12. Innocence

Hey everybody!

Finally got chapter 12 up, I wasn't quite sure where I was going with it but I ended up liking the direction I took.

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, btw.

R&R! and as always enjoy :)

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 12: Innocence<strong>

Nobody dared to mention his name in front of her, that act was a death sentence in itself, especially if they assumed him guilty. At present, Rogue skulked around the mansion, hands balled into fists and shoved deep within her pockets. The events of the previous week kept replaying and replaying in her mind: _She had regained enough control to take supremacy over Magneto's psyche and had tried to yank Gambit back. However, Magneto was stronger, much stronger. Suddenly, the internal pipelines of the mansion burst through the ground and coiled around Rogue like hungry snakes. She did not have enough mental power to keep hold over Magneto's, or anyone else's, mutation and soon found herself strangled in the grip of a metal python. Just before her world went black, Rogue could make out the Professor's voice over the speakers say, "Erik, release her. You have what you came for." Abruptly, the coils went limp and Rogue collapsed to the ground. _

_ After she had awoken, Rogue argued for hours with the Professor to send a rescue party to retrieve Gambit. But, since half of the mansion thought he was a mole anyways, Xavier refused Rogue's request, sending her into a fit of rage that she still hadn't cooled down from._

Silently, Rogue made her way through the halls to a space she was very familiar with: the weight room. She passed a lounge as swiftly and sullenly as the grim reaper might have, and the occupants seemed were worried.

"Her mood hasn't improved any, Chuck," Wolverine stated.

"I can see that, and I'm concerned she may do something rash and get herself hurt," Xavier replied.

"Can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe you shoulda let her go after lover boy."

"No, I had a gut feeling Magneto had something planned for her if she followed, plus she is still not completely in control," he defended.

"But now we got a pissed off, life draining, hormonally unbalanced Rogue prowlin' around," Logan said.

"Yes, thank you. I am well aware of that," Xavier sounded agitated.

"So what's the plan?"

Xavier thoughtfully placed his chin onto the palm of his hand. "Keep an eye on her."

Logan nodded in acknowledgment.

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><p>Blasting the stereo, Rogue ripped off her hoodie and tied her hair up in preparation of an intense workout. She began with the punching bag, jabbing it mercilessly until it all but swung off its hook.<p>

"We care 'bout everyone he says, we don' leave anyone behin' he says; we're X-men he says," she muttered to herself. Then with one particularly strong blow to the bag she shouted, "Liar!"

She switched over to the bike machine and sprinted fifteen miles in one stretch before she started mumbling to herself again. "Why should Ah care anyways? Gambit was a pain in mah neck and now he's gone." She had now changed the settings to the equivalent of biking up a steep hill. "Ah got no reason t'be concerned, after all," the incline sharply increased and she let out a grunt, "he's back wit' his own team now."

Rogue dismounted the bike and as she lay on the floor to start her rotation of fifty crunches then fifty push-ups Rogue knew she was trying to convince herself she didn't care. She also knew she was failing. "He'll be fine, it ain't lahke Magneto will torture him," she told herself aloud, knowing the opposite was in all probability true.

"_Rogue, help me…"_

She stood up and spun around, "Who's there?" she yelled shakily.

"_Rogue, help me…"_

Her head whipped in every direction, only to encounter an empty room. "Ah mean it, who's there?"

"_Rogue, it's Gambit. Help me…"_

"Gambit? Impossible, you ain't here." She was starting to become increasingly worried.

"_Rogue, Magneto he's…he's…I need you…"_

Rogue was almost in a full stage freak-out. "Where are you? Gambit, where are you?"

"_Listen t'de voice in your head…Rogue, help me…"_

It was his psyche. She had worried herself sick about him being hurt by Magneto that the consciousness she carried of him inside of her was crying out for help. "Shut up!" she screamed. "Y'r not really in trouble, shut up, shut up!"

"_Rogue…"_

"Leave me alone!" She shrieked as she grabbed a five-pound weight and hurled it at the wall, breaking through the plaster. Rogue stood in the middle of the room, chest heaving up and down, as Scott, who happened to be walking by and heard the thunderous crash, burst through the doors.

"Rogue!" He ran over to her, "What happened? Are you okay?"

She hadn't heard him at first, until he took her by the hand (the only covered part on her entire upper limb) and squeezed it.

"Huh?" she snapped out of her funk. "Oh, Ah… Ah… Ah gotta see Gambit."

"Rogue," he called sternly as she started to walk away, "He was a spy. He just manipulated you."

That statement made Rogue stop in her tracks. Anger boiled just below the surface of her skin and as she turned to face Scott it could clearly be seen in her eyes. "What'd y'say?"

"I'm sorry, Rogue-" he began, and as soon as he had he was silenced by an upper cut to the jaw. Scott stumbled back substantially, not expecting the strike. "Rogue! He-" She threw another punch, followed by a kick in blind fury. Scott grabbed her foot in midair, "I won't fight you. But I can't let you leave." She yanked her foot out of his grip and clocked him in the abdomen. As he staggered back Rogue spun around for another kick, but was caught from behind in a bear-hug like attack by Scott.

"Let me go!" she hollered, even though she could have easily stomped on his foot to be released.

"He's our enemy," Scott tried to reason with her.

"Ah gotta make sure he's okay!"

Scott loosened his grip at that declaration and Rogue tore away from him. He stared at her, puzzled.

"What Scott?"

"Do you love him?"

The question took her completely by shock and she almost fell over. "Doesn't matter," she responded.

"How'd you figure that?"

"Even if Ah do, and even if he loves me we can't touch, can't kiss, can't be together," Rogue objected.

"Go," Scott said.

"What?"

"Go!" he shouted. "Keep him safe! But I'm coming with you."

Once again, she was almost too shocked to stand.

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><p><strong>Didn't see that coming!<strong>

**Thanks so much for reading and reviewing :)**

**Much love, I'll update soon!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION**


	13. Betrayed

Hey everybody

So I lied the betrayl is in this chapter!

Hope you like it!

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 13: Betrayed<strong>

As Scott kissed his girlfriend's cheek, he prayed to god that she wasn't the least bit suspicious about his impromptu movie with "the guys" from class.

"You better be back in time to kiss me goodnight," Jean whispered into his ear, making his guilt of lying to her grow greater.

"I don't know," he stuttered, "We're going out afterwards, too. Might just crash at one of their places," he lied.

"Oh fine Scott Summers, you have fun," Jean pouted.

He gave her an additional kiss then swiftly exited her bedroom.

Rogue had packed a duffel bag the night before and stalked through the shadows all morning, keeping up her enraged visage. She spoke to no one and hardly raised her eyes off of the carpeting. Rogue trailed her way to the garage, where she and Scott had agreed to meet.

She unlocked the entrance to see Scott hopping over the driver's side door into the car seat, normally she would not have cared, but right now she decided his attitude was a little too carefree for this mission and resolved to voice this opinion in her own special way.

"What'd y'tell Jean, that y'were gettin' a Mani or a Pedi?" she said in almost a snarl.

"Mani," he played.

Rogue had come to the decision that that had redeemed him for the moment. As she opened the passenger's side door Scott stopped her, "What are you doing?"

"Getting in," she said mockingly, "What are y'doin'?"

"You can't be seen in this car until we are past the mansion gates," he stated.

"So what? Y'want me to hide in the trunk?"

"Well…" he started.

"Scott!" she was just about revolted.

"Just kidding. Grab that blanket and lie down in the back."

"Yessir," she gave him an army salute and jumped in the back.

At the same time Scott started the engine, Jean came bursting through the door. Swinging herself over to his side of the car and leaning over just enough to show him the proper amount of cleavage, she said, "Baby, I would really love to go see a movie. Can I come?" Meanwhile, Rogue had all but stopped breathing in fear of being heard, and worse, found in _Scott__'__s_ car.

"Sorry Babe," his heart was pounding a mile a minute, "Its boys' night." He leaned in for a kiss and waved good-bye as he pulled out of the garage. He peered into his rear-view mirror to watch Jean wave farewell.

* * *

><p>"Rogue," he whispered harshly, "We're out."<p>

She whipped off the blanket to find they were stopped in the back of a dumpy gas station where teens went to have sex in their mom's car. "Bout time, it's hot under there!"

"Yeah, sorry. Where to?" he asked.

Rogue fished through her duffel bag to find a map she had stolen from the Cerebro room. "Accordin' t'this, the acolytes last known base was about six miles north." She handed him the map as she popped into the passenger's seat.

"What else you got in that bag?" he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Whatever we may need," her voice was as serious as he'd ever heard it.

'No jokes on this mission,' he thought to himself.

Abruptly, Rogue announced, "Ah'm gonna go inside to grab a few things. Y'want anything?"

"Mountain dew and a Twix," he replied.

She rolled her eyes and left.

Scott studied the map carefully, it lead to an abandoned warehouse. 'What if they aren't there anymore? Rogue will go berserk,' he thought.

Inside the gas station, Rogue was in the bathroom flipping out. Gambit's psyche hadn't been quiet since it cried out for help during her workout yesterday. It was driving her insane, always begging for the pain to stop, always calling out her name.

Bringing her inner peace, meant saving him…soon.

She stared at herself in the mirror and noticed the bags under eyes she'd received from the lack of sleep last night. She gently touched her face and said, "Y'r losin' it."

"_Rogue…"_

"SHUT UP!" she screamed while sweeping her arms across the counter, knocking everything to the ground, shattering it.

Breathing heavily as she exited the restroom, Rogue bought Scott's sweets and walked back to the car.

"Here y'go," she said as she threw the pop and candy onto his lap.

"Mmmmm, thanks." He looked over and saw that she was almost weeping. "Hey," he said while turning her head to face him, "Are you okay?"

She whipped her head back to its original position and replied, "Ah will be."

He backed the car up and headed north, all the while keeping an eye on Rogue.

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><p>"That's it," he declared as the pulled up to the building across the street from the warehouse. "What's the plan?"<p>

"This is a stealth mission. We don't go in hot, and we don't go looking for a fight." Rogue twisted her body whilst leaning past Scott and grabbed the duffel bag out of the back. "But if worst comes to worst," she opened up the bag to expose tear gas canisters; "we use these then grab Gambit."

"Yes ma'am," Scott gave her the army salute this time.

"We'll sneak in the back," she confirmed. He simply nodded and switched out his sunglasses for his visor (also found in Rogue's knapsack).

The door creaked fiercely and fortunately the main room was empty, however there was definitely evidence that the acolytes still lived there, which caused Scott to sigh in relief. Rogue found one of Pyro's igniters on an old broken-down couch and decided to attach it to her arm just in case. As Scott searched the corridor, Rogue stumbled upon what seemed to be a meeting room with an elongated table, flat-screen TV, and computers lining the far wall. Uninterested with her findings, Rogue swept out en route for the corridors to catch up with Scott in what appeared to be Gambit's room.

"Doesn't look like he's been here in months," Scott observed.

Rogue glared at him, "That's cause he's been wit' us. And obviously, Magneto didn't give him a warm greeting then let him go to bed when he returned," a strange mixture of worry and cynicism flowed through her words.

Rogue opened the top drawer of the dresser to find a photograph of herself she was unaware Gambit possessed. But before she could continue her search, they heard a faint shriek in the background. "Gambit," Rogue whispered, and then flew out of the room at the pace of a speeding bullet.

She stopped short of the hallway which contained the room where the screams came from, giving Scott just enough time to catch up with her. They sneaked alongside the wall to that chilling room. Just as Scott reached out his hand to turn the doorknob it jiggled from the inside and Rogue automatically kicked open the door behind them and snatched the back of Scott's shirt, yanking him in they tumbled to the ground together. Magneto floated out of the room and Rogue could faintly make out the figure of a breathless Gambit within. "No-" she breathed, but Scott quickly covered her mouth as Magneto stopped and peered about. With one last gaze down the dark hallway, Magneto turned and left.

When he was safely out of sight, Rogue just about broke down the door of that other room. "Gambit!" she gasped and ran over to him. Scott was faced the other way, covering the door incase anyone came by. "Gambit!" Rogue could hardly take in the scene. He was fastened to an outsized metal chair by metal restraints around his ankles, wrists, waist, and neck, which, by the looks of it, Magneto had not failed to manipulate as he pleased.

She took his face in both her hands, "Gambit, Gambit! Answer me."

He gasped and wheezed out the word, "Rogue."

"Yes," she said frantically, "yes. Ah'm gonna get y'outta this."

"No Rogue," he protested, "stop."

It was too late, Rogue had already called Scott over and he blasted the restraints clean away and Gambit collapsed to the floor. Being supported by Rogue on one side and Scott on the other, Gambit attempted to plead with them.

"Rogue," he moaned, "put me back."

"Did he brainwash y'or somet'ing?" she sounded agitated. "We're takin' y'back t'the mansion."

"Mon amour, I cannot go back wit' you," he implored.

"What? Gambit, y'saved meh now I'm savin' you. So shut up 'n let me!"

"I can't, as much as I want to," Gambit told her, standing on his own.

"But… Remy," she touched his cheek with her gloved hand, "Y'love me. Don't you?"

Gambit swallowed hard and ignored the question that almost brought tears to his eyes. "Magneto will never let me stay wit' you. He'll hunt me 'til de day I die."

Rogue took a step back in shock, "So that's it? Y'r submittin' to a bastard wit' a bucket on his head!" A single tear escaped from Rogue's eye, killing Gambit on the inside. Gambit took a step towards her and she retreated into Scott for sanctuary, another sight that killed Gambit on the inside. "Ah trus-" Rogue never had time to finish her sentence. Magneto had been lurking in the shadows and knocked both Rogue and Scott against the wall with a beam of steel.

"Congratulations Gambit," he said, "You've proven your worth, and are an acolyte once more."

"Traitor!" Scott breathed callously, before being slammed against the wall again, subsequently losing consciousness as Rogue had.

"Now then," Magneto said, "Walk with me."

Gambit complied. Silently wanting to strike Magneto down where he stood for making him do that to his Chere. A deep, dark fire was burning throughout Gambit and had found its way into his eyes, setting the crimson pupils he possessed aflame. Gambit had only one reason for not killing Magneto right then and there: he must be in his good graces for his lately formed plan to work.

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><p>Thanks for reading and Reviewing!<p>

I basically have my idea for chapter 14 already so it should be coming soon!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION


	14. Plans Go Astray

Hey everyone

Only about 2 weeks later and I've got chapter 14 up!

I really hope you like it :)

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 14: Plans Go Astray<strong>

A piercing white light awoke Scott and Rogue, disoriented and betrayed the two X-men struggled to move, only to realize they were strapped down onto a table.

"So how is my dear old friend?" a familiar voice rang out, "Treating you well is he?"

"What do you want Magneto?" Scott spat out.

"Oh, nothing really," he answered, "You see boy, I'm actually quite a simple man."

"Get to the point," Scott said.

Rogue was to upset to speak; she had her eyes fixed on a certain smoking acolyte leaning against the back wall.

"Well Cyclops," Magneto continued, "I find it hard to believe Charles would send two, juvenile X-men out on their own against me." He took a pause for dramatic effect. "Here is my proposal: you do what I say and I'll return you to Xavier unharmed."

"And if we don't?" Scott interrupted.

Magneto smiled, "I not only exterminate mankind, but all the mutants that get in my way. See Scott, if you two agree to help me with your optic blasts and her control over anyone she's ever absorbed, I will spare each and every mutant, the human-lovers and all."

"What y'gonna do wit' us if we say no?" Rogue cut in sharply, not taking her eyes off of Gambit.

"Why I'm not sure, perhaps Gambit should decide the punishment, after all he so cleverly caught the two of you," Magneto bragged. For the first time in the conversation Gambit lifted his eyes off the ground and meet Rogue's. "What do you think Gambit?" Magneto questioned.

The look in her eyes made his voice choke, but he tried not to let Magneto notice. "Dere's always de mutie haters downtown," he offered sullenly.

"Son of a bitch!" Scott yelled to Gambit, "You'd give Rogue to mutie haters? You're lower than low! And always were!"

"Enough!" Magneto bellowed. "Now," he turned to Scott and Rogue, "will you help or hurt your own kind achieve supremacy?"

"We ain't gonna help y'bucket head," Rogue declared, "An' if y'do take us downtown Ah want ya t'make Gambit watch."

Magneto nodded gravely, "Suit yourself," he said then walked away. However, Gambit didn't follow. He waited until he was gone then ran to the table holding Scott and Rogue.

"Chere," he whispered. She only stared at him with an icy glare, not intending to respond. "Chere," he whispered again, undoing her restraints. "I had no choice. I had t'make him t'ink I was workin' fo' him." As he undid the last of her bindings she stayed lying on the table and merely turned her head away from him. Next, he undid Scott's, pleading, "I ain't a mole mon ami."

"Likely story," Scott snorted, walking around to the other side of the table and offering Rogue his hand to help her stand up.

"If I was workin' fo' him why'd I jus' release you, huh?" Gambit asked.

Rogue leaned over close to Scott's ear and whispered, "It's another trick."

"No," Gambit implored, "I have a plan. We can destroy dis place from de inside out."

"What is this, some kind of trap?" Scott quarreled.

"No, no. I had t'act as I did," Gambit entreated. He took Rogue by the hand and attempted to speak directly to her. "I would never harm you Rogue, never." She ripped her hand out of his and looked away as if he wasn't even there. "Rogue, Rogue!" he pleaded, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking.

Rogue simply turned her head to Scott, not making eye contact with Gambit once, and said, "We should leave while we can."

"Agreed," he replied, catching on to what she was doing.

As they began to walk away, Gambit felt like he was losing her and there was only one solution he could think of. Gambit reached out, snatched Rogue's hand and spun her back around into a kiss. He cupped her face with both his hands and whispered, "Absorb meh, see de truth," just before he lost consciousness.

Gambit collapsed to the floor with a thud as Rogue's mind went reeling with images of the acolytes, of Magneto, of the Institute, but mainly of herself. She shouldn't have been surprised at that but couldn't help it. Absorbing someone's memory bank like that was a bit overwhelming. She felt the shock and panic of that moment when Magneto burst into the institute, she felt the fear of being forced away from what she loved (these were Gambit's feelings about her of course.) Rogue saw his memories, heard his past thoughts, and absorbed that dark hatred he had burning for Magneto.

Taking in a deep breath, Rogue whispered out Gambit's name. "Ah'm sorry, Ah'm so sorry," she softly sobbed.

Scott knelt down to feel for Gambit's pulse, realizing how much he meant to her. "How long you think he'll be out?" Scott asked.

"It was a long kiss," Rogue acknowledged, placing her fingers to her lips. Scott propped him up in a chair with his legs crossed resting on the table to make it appear as if he had just fallen asleep.

"Now we wait," he said.

"And plan," Rogue added, not being one to waste time.

Almost an hour later, Gambit's eyes began to flicker open. "Ouch, Chere y'give quite a headache," he tried to tease.

She glowered at him, "It was y'r blame fool idea t'up an' kiss meh."

"Well it worked didn' it?" he defended. He couldn't get a smile out off her.

She turned to Scott, "First, we should hack into their network, an' then focus on gettin' out unseen."

He nodded, "Gambit, you got a pass code for this place's main hard drive?"

"Oui mon ami," he replied.

"Good, 'cause Ah doubt the Prof will be happy wit' us when we return. But maybe we can bring some useful information back wit' us." Both men nodded.

Sneaking past the innermost area into the meeting room Rogue had discovered the night before, Gambit went straight for the wall of computers and quieted them all before he put in his password. "What y'want t'know Cherie?"

"Where he plans t'attack, an' Cajun," she said, "this ain't no time for y'r Chere this and Cherie that. Got it?"

"Dere's always time," he paused, and then added, "Cherie."

She rolled her eyes teasingly at him.

"Will you two stop flirting," Scott whispered over his shoulder because he was guarding the door, "You'll have plenty of time for that at home."

"Hard not to," Gambit declared.

"Jus' get back t'work," Rogue commanded.

"Here dey are," Gambit said as a list of buildings appeared on every screen.

"Print 'em off an' let's go."

As they exited the conference room, Pyro was sprawled out on the broken down couch watching a cartoon. "Ahahaha, hey blokes come watch this!"

"Merde, we're going to hav'ta fight," Gambit whispered.

Rogue nodded and didn't plan on being subtle about it. She folded up the list and tucked it away in her back pocket. Next, she retrieved the igniter sitting out on their dining table that was taken away from her when they were captured, and fastened it to her right arm. "Give meh a minute, boys," she whispered then closed her eyes. Two minutes later, her eyes burst open and were set ablaze with Pyro's powers. A sinister smirk crossed her lips and she said, "Now!"

Scott blasted through the couch to catch Pyro off guard. Pyro tumbled to the floor then hauled himself to his feet, laughing. "Finally!" his Aussie accent awfully thick, "Some real entertainment." He paused then saw Gambit was with them, "You! Mate, I thought we were friends. But no, you succumbed to that Shelia," Pyro spat out with distain in his words. "And speaking of that Shelia, she's got one of my igniters!"

"That's right bonehead," Rogue smiled, and shot a constant stream of fire onto the living room furniture.

Pyro just laughed as he clapped his hands together and the fire began to twist and turn into a bird of prey that came soaring at the three of them. "What now baby?" Pyro cackled.

Rogue smirked, "This!" she shouted as she too clapped her hands together, turning the bird of prey into a dragon and sending it towards Pyro.

"Wha- How can you do that? Gambit! How can your girlfriend do that?" Pyro was baffled and because of that was seared by Rogue's dragon.

As Pyro ran to find some water to put himself out, Magneto appeared; very unsatisfied that Gambit really was a defector. "Disappointing, Gambit."

"My apologies, homme. I found somet'ing worth fightin' fo'," Gambit retorted.

"Oh, you mean her?" Magneto pointed towards Rogue nonchalantly, "Who would have thought that Gambit could be taken astray by a woman. Well, stranger things have happened, right? Just a pity to lose such a good thief."

"This speech have a point coming or do you just like listening to yourself talk?" Scott asked.

Magneto stared at Scott, "I was hoping we could settle this dignifiedly, without fighting."

"Fat chance," Rogue whispered to herself.

"But if we cannot," Magneto continued, ignoring Rogue, "so be it." He lifted his hand up into the air, spread apart his fingers then hoisted them forward, thrusting the TV at them. Gambit reached into his pocket and threw a charged card at the TV causing it to explode.

Magneto simply shook his head in disappointment. With another flourish of his hand, the metal tiles beneath their feet came alive and encircled them in a cocoon. Scott blasted a hole in it, but the metal repaired itself before they could escape. The walls of the cocoon were constricting tighter and tighter around them. Rogue shut her eyes tight then grasped the two guys by their shirts, transporting them out of the enclosure.

"Impressive," Magneto commented as he sent metal rods flying at them. Each X-man jumped and rolled out of the way, but the shafts followed and soon had them pinned against the wall.

As Magneto drifted over to give them a "victor" speech, Cyclops blasted him through the opposite wall of the warehouse and the metal bars all fell to the floor. "Let's go!" he yelled.

Rogue had collapsed to the floor when the bars dropped, and was panting for breath. She managed to get onto her knees at what time Gambit swept his arms under her and hoisted her up against his chest. "We can take a break later, Chere."

Running outside Rogue forced Gambit to put her down, and as he did he decided to charge the entire warehouse. As it glowed a bright crimson Gambit yelled, "I guess y'r right mon ami, I am a traitor!"

Rogue snatched him by the arm as he started to sprint for the car, "Gambit, no! A blast lahke that could kill or injury everybody within miles of this place."

"Rogue…" he began.

"Take back the energy, now!" Rogue demanded, "Ah ain't playin'."

The hatred in Gambit's eyes did not dissipate as he placed his hands on the building and withdrew all the energy back into his body. His breathing became heavy and arduous. "Dere, nobody goin' t'die t'day."

Regrettably, that little mishap had given Magneto enough time to recover from his head injury and witness the three leaping into Scott's car. An evil grin made its way across Magneto's lips. He allowed them to zoom away as if they were in the clear, except when they were only a block gone Magneto manipulated the metal end of the seatbelts, tightening them around each of their necks, tighter and tighter.

"What's happenin'?" Rogue gasped breathlessly.

Scott had lost control of the car while he tried to tear the seatbelt away from his neckline, and the vehicle was headed straight for an apartment building. Just before they collided, Magneto released his grip on their seatbelts, but it was too late. They had crashed into the high-rise head on and all lost consciousness instantaneously except Rogue. She struggled to lift her head up and saw that the engine was leaking gas. Just as her eyes blurred and she blacked out she saw a fire commencing from the residence spreading along the ground towards the puddle of deadly gasoline.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading and reviewing!<strong>

**I'm always open for suggestions if you want to give any**

**Until next time :)  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION**


	15. Up in Smoke

HEY everyone!

I know my last update was in NOVEMBER and I apologize for that!

Could NOT think of what to do for this chapter

But I like where I went with it and hope you do too.

R&R! and enjoy!

:))

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 15: Up in Smoke<strong>

Through the thick veil of choking smoke Gambit raised his bruised head and saw, to no avail, nothing but blurred darkness. However, he could hear the piercing shouts of citizens fleeing the burning building and beyond that he could make out a familiar voice, a friend's voice.

"Mate!" it screamed out, "I'll save ya, ya stupid bloke."

Pyro scrambled across the street to the smoldering accident. The flames flicked and tossed in all directions as if dancing to an inaudible beat. Pyro clapped his hands together above his head and commanded the flames to the right, then to left. Then, one by one, he began to extinguish them.

When the task was done Pyro buckled to his knees and took many deep, cavernous breaths. With the flames gone the smoke began to clear and Pyro helped his old friend out of the car.

"And people say I'm insane," he quipped, although Gambit could hardly hear him over his roaring headache.

"Wait-" the Cajun was able to stammer out, "the others get the others."

As they began to stumble across the street with Gambit leaning on Pyro's good shoulder and dragging his left foot with every other step he tried to turn around but Pyro grabbed his friend hard and kept their current path.

"You're better off without her, mate."

"Mon ami y'couldn't be more wrong," he whispered hoarsely, still coughing up ash.

Scott was the next to brutally awake amongst the rubble of their car. Upon seeing Gambit being assisted across the street by his Aussie friend Scott immediately misinterpreted and took him as their enemy again. That is until his vision had cleared enough to see Gambit fighting Pyro to turn back. He felt a twinge of remorse for being so quick to pass him off as their opponent once more, especially after everything he'd done for Rouge, who still lay unconsciously slumped over in the back seat.

Scott attempted to depart from his cherry convertible only to find that his left leg had been crushed in the collision and was most likely broken. He reached his sooty arm behind him in an endeavor to shake Rogue awake. Her clothes had been slightly torn in the crash from shards of glass that had flown every which way when the windows shattered. With all that shaking Scott had only succeeded in turning Rogue's unconscious body over to reveal her pale white face that had been stained with blood under her small curved nose. Scott's most logical explanation was that when they hit the building Rogue's head had smashed into the passenger seat and given her a bloody nose. Even if that was so, it still looked worse than it really was.

"Rogue," he coughed, still trying to wake her up, "Rogue!" He had to be very careful where he laid his hand on her because of the pallid exposed skin.

Realizing she wasn't going to stir anytime soon Scott had decided to yank at his leg until it was released from under the dashboard. Of course this action caused him unfathomable pain and he shrieked against the feverous sky as the pain shot throughout his entire leg and then some.

"Gahhh-ahhh-ahhhhhhhh!" To anyone within a mile it'd have sounded as if a young man was being tortured through some heinous new method of torment; however he was eventually able to free himself. Scott slumped over the edge of the car and smacked the ground with a heavy thud. After he'd pulled himself up to his feet he reached over the compressed door and took hold of Rogue's body, yanking her out of the crushed car.

"I got you," he kept repeating to her unaware body, more to reassure himself than her, "I got you."

From the other side of the road, Gambit was in a frenzy arguing with Pyro to go back and help them. They argued and argued until at one point Gambit had decked Pyro with his arm that wasn't currently distraught and dangling, giving him a black-eye. It was at that moment that Pyro agreed and dashed back across the street to Rogue and Scott.

"Give me the Shelia," he panted to Scott.

"Yeah right," Scott bickered, "I'll keep her with me, thanks."

"Mate, you can't walk," Pyro pointed out.

Reluctantly Scott handed Rogue to Pyro and he lifted her up the same way Gambit always had and her body rolled into his chest. Scott, refusing to accept an acolyte's help, hobbled across the street lagging behind the other two a bit.

"Here mate," Pyro huffed, handing Rogue off to Gambit who sat on the sidewalk hunched over against a brick edifice. Rogue now lay slouched over on Gambit's lap, still unconscious and unaware of their situation thus far. Gambit rested uneasily against the hot brick, his only comfort being able to softly stroke the hair of the girl in his lap. When Scott arrived all three were slumped down, torn, bloody and covered with the black ashes of a once roaring fire.

"What now?" Gambit asked, not raising his eyes from Rogue.

"He'll be coming back," this was the first time any of them had heard Pyro's thick Aussie accent have a grave and sullen undertone.

All of a sudden, Rogue's eyes began to flutter open and as she groaned she raised her hand to her spinning head. The first thing she saw when her vision cleared was the seam of Gambit's dark blue pants and a dirty sidewalk. She immediately tried to lift herself up but hadn't the energy and fell into Gambit's chest, causing him to grunt in the pain of soreness.

"Sorry Cajun," she spoke almost too softly for him to hear.

Unfortunately, Pyro had been right and floating down the soiled sidewalk a cloaked figure approached them leisurely.

"How heroic Pyro," Magneto mocked.

"Hey now-"

Magneto waved off whatever Pyro was about to say and continued, "Well 'X-men' this seems to be quite a pickle you all are in. I wish I could help, I really do."

"Enough!" Scott cried and blasted Magneto into a nearby building. This occurrence gave the three of them time to scuttle to their feet and into disoriented fighting stances. As Magneto hovered back to them Gambit tossed three playing cards at him but unperturbedly he levitated a trash can lid in front of him to block the blasts.

Rogue, hanging onto Gambit for support seeing as she had not yet found her bearings again, said, "Two can play at that game." She closed her eyes tight but just as she had entered her own mind Rogue's body almost collapsed to the hard concrete beneath their feet. She whimpered about as her head reeled. "Ah…Ah…mah head," she whipped it about before her knees buckled beneath her. Gambit lunged forward and caught her before she collided with the ground.

Holding her tight he breathed, "Rogue, Rogue can you hear me?"

"Light-headed…" she whispered.

"Don't worry, I've got ya," he spoke in a low voice into her ear.

"Little help!" Scott yelled, blasting at Magneto over and over again.

With Rogue's arm around his neck Gambit reached into his trench coat and pulled out six playing cards, "On the count of three."

"One..."

Scott blasted at Magneto and banked right to avoid it.

"Two…"

Scott blasted at Magneto and banked left to avoid it.

"Three!"

With Magneto positioned perfectly in the middle both Scott and Gambit shot him with all they had. The powerful blast of glowing crimson sent him soaring backwards and far from sight.

Pyro, knowing where his place was in this feud, nodded to his friend then ran after Magneto.

"Take her," Gambit demanded, leaning Rogue carefully onto Scott.

"Where are you going?"

"T'get us a ride home," Gambit hoped into the first convertible car he saw and without delay started sparking to wires together. A few moments later, he drove up to Scott, with Rogue clinging about him in a desperate attempt to stand up, in an antique glossy jade muscle car with black leather seats. "Put her in de back."

Surprisingly to Scott, Gambit gave him the wheel but he would soon figure out why. The vehicle went like a bullet down the street and away from that city.

A few miles onto the expressway and it had started to downpour. They couldn't get the top up in time and, even though it was up now, all three of them and the leather had gotten soaked. Gambit, after having uttered many French curses wormed his way from the passenger's seat into the back of the car, hearing his clothes squish against the ruined leather the whole time.

He gently lifted Rogue's head and seating himself down laid it back in his lap. Once again, he took his brawny hand and soothingly caressed her white and auburn locks until she awoke.

"Still raining?" She smiled looking up into his face.

He knew he was meant to look out the window into the dark and dripping sky for her answer, but didn't want to take his eyes off of her. So he said, "Most likely. But dat's not what I want t'talk 'bout."

Rogue stared at the drop-top of the car, knowing exactly what he wanted to talk about but not wanting to herself. "Ah just haven't mastered it yet. Don't worry," she tried to be light-hearted but when she looked at the expression on his face it implied otherwise.

"Dat was more than jus' not masterin' Rogue." She knew he had something else to say but was holding back. "Maybe…maybe dis thing y'do has limitations."

For some reason she was angered by this notion and turned away from him saying contemptuously, "Or maybe it was the car crash Ah had jus' been in."

"Rogue," he tried to stroke her hair again but she whipped away, "y'collapsed… I don't want t'see y'get hurt again, especially if y'know how to prevent it. I'm jus' afraid y'r goin' t'push y'rself t'far and next time maybe you won't jus' collapse."

She was silent, listening to the rain fall on the car's roof.

"Rogue," he continued hesitantly, "I can't do this wit'out you."

She rolled back over to peer up into his grave, yet honest face. "Do what?"

"Live."

He could feel her breathing hitch and wanted more than anything to kiss her and not let go. And he had a sense that those were her feelings too.

"I don' want t'see you kill y'rself-"

"Remy," she whispered, "Y'once told me y'loved me… Did y'mean it?"

"Of course I did," he was so shocked at the question he only mouthed his response, but somehow Rogue knew what he had said.

"Remy LeBeau, Ah love y'too."

Time seemed to stop. The rain no longer fell, or at least they could no longer hear it. Scott and the entire front half of the car seemed to fade into the black of the dreary night now.

It was almost three a.m. when the stolen vehicle drove up to the gates of the institute. A shrouded figure loomed just behind the gates in the dawn of a fresh, showery day. Scott, being the only one awake, knew exactly who was waiting for them.

Pulling up by the form he unrolled his window and joked with a nervous laugh, "You like my new car, Professor?"

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><p><strong>Chapter 15 ladies and gentlemen! <strong>

**Thanks for reading and reviewing :)**

**chapter 16 will come...eh...well... I DON'T KNOW  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION**


	16. Who to Talk To?

****Hey everyone :)

Had some free time and wanted to work on this story.

Got the update up a bit faster this time! Only a month since my last.

Anyways, I hope ya'll enjoy and please leave me a review.

It's a great gift to be able to read your guys' compliments and thoughts

R&R! :)

* * *

><p><strong>Explosions<strong>** of Every Kind Chapter 16: Who to Talk To? **

"Irresponsible. Risky. Dangerous. Reckless. Unsafe. Foolish. _What _were you thinking?"

Leaning uncomfortably on the cream-colored couch, Scott, Rogue, and Gambit stranded their eyes anywhere except for Xavier's face. Scott, his broken, smutty leg propped up for the time-being on a garnet plush pillow, endeavored to defend their actions but was shot down by an intimidating, disappointed glare from Xavier.

"I would _never_ expect any of my students do something so unintelligent and potentially life-threatening, especially you, Scott. We have rules for a reason! I refused to send a rescue party for Gambit because I knew, _I knew_, Magneto would bring harm to them. And now? Look at you three! Your leg is broken," Xavier pointed out furiously, "And so is your arm!" He flicked an irritated hand at Gambit. "Do you have any idea how fortunate you are to be alive?" He directed this question at Rogue, who was hugging her nimble arms around Gambit's sooty waist. "Rash decisions lead to nothing but trouble. I'd expect you all to know that by now."

Once again the three X-men looked around uneasily, hoping to avoid eye contact.

"Go. Go to the infirmary and get patched up. It's 3 a.m. and you all need some sleep. I'll send Beast down there to take care of you all, and we will finish this discussion tomorrow."

Hobbling sorely through the mansion halls they made their way to the double—smudged— glass doors of the infirmary and entered. All the lights were off and therefore the three stumbled to find either a cold hospital bed or a, what seemed to be, microscopic light switch.

The light switch proved the more difficult task as Scott clunked into a bed, followed shortly by Rogue and Gambit. Within a matter of minutes smacking, thunderous footsteps were carrying down the same corridor they had taken until a shaded, furry figure could be seen pushing open one of the translucent doors. Flipping on the lights, Beast discovered all three had passed out from exhaustion and, not wanting to wake them, he quietly, cautiously examined each then stayed with them all night.

Five hours of sleep seemed to pass in a matter of minutes to Gambit, who was the first to awake and take in the scene. Beast had poured himself a cup of black coffee and was currently preparing casting while Rogue lay, disoriented, next to him and Scott's unconscious body relaxed, twisted oddly, on the adjacent bed. Looking up, Gambit blinded himself from the luminosity of yellow light and blinked wildly to dispose of the purple sun spots he now saw.

"Beast," he whispered, afraid of waking Rogue. "Beast."

Hank McCoy tilted his head toward Gambit in acknowledgement. "Yes? Oh good, you're up."

He walked over to his bed and began to lift his arm for cast measurements. Gambit, struggling to regain control of his own arm asked, "How's Rogue?"

Irritatingly yanking Gambit's arm out straight again, Beast peered over to the girl lying next to him, blood still caked on her upper lip. "Her nose is broken, she's torn up, and she may have fractured her wrist. But she will live…" Beast paused, contemplating whether to add some humor to this situation or not, then put in, "After all, this is the second explosions she's been in."

Gambit, however, did not find this funny. He glared at Beast, as if trying to stare daggers through his shaggy exterior into his heart. "Y't'ink dat's funny?" his tone incredibly threatening for an injured man.

"Well," he saw how upset that had made him and quickly changed his response, "no. I'm sorry."

As the other two woke up, groggily and wounded, Beast set casts on them as well as clean up their cuts and bruises just in time for Professor Xavier to show up.

"Good, you're all up," he observed as entering the infirmary. "Report Hank?"

"Gambit has a broken arm. Scott's left leg is broken. Rogue's nose was broken and wrist fractured. And all three are a bit torn up and bruised."

Xavier nodded and Beast left the room.

"How could you be so careless?" His tenor was quiet, sad… not angry. "I could go one for days about the unnecessary risks you two took for just one mutant, but a lot of good that will do. Truth is, in your situation Rogue I may have done the same thing. However that does not excuse your rash, foolish, risky behavior, and there will be punishments."

"Ain't de broken bones enough of a punishm'nt, mon ami?"

"Lessons need to be learned. You cannot sacrifice the greater good for just one mutant. No matter who."

"Bullshit," Rogue whispered into Gambit's chest.

"Excuse me."

"Y'know very well we'd all do that, Professor," she turned away from Gambit and looked into Xavier's eyes, "Ah'd do it f'r Gambit, he'd do it f'r me, Scott'd do it f'r Jean. Hell! Even Lance'd probably do it f'r Kitty. And y'know there's someone you'd do it f'r too."

The room was silent as they all processed what Rogue had said, even her.

After a few moments Xavier continued, "In the future we will have to recognize which risks are necessary and which are not. Now, rest." With that, he wheeled away, not to return that day.

Scott, heavy on pain pills, fell back into the pale, sky blue sheets and drifted away. Gambit slipped his non-broken arm around Rogue's waist and drew her closer, as both of their bruised bodies ached. She made no moves of retreat, and had stifled her sound of pain. Instead, she rested her heavy head on his strong chest and smiled. Drifting off herself, Rogue realized something. She realized that Gambit would always take care of her and she_ finally_ accepted that as a good thing.

They slept for almost the entire day under those spotless, yellow lights. However, at one point in the drizzly day Scott clumsily left the infirmary on his newly acquired crutches. Not waking either Rogue or Gambit, he found his way to the Professor's office. Awkwardly opening the tall mahogany door, he entered.

"Professor?"

His chair turned from the closed window and he beckoned to the empty sofa. Scott, plopping onto that very same chocolate-colored couch, raised his leg onto another pillow before he began to speak. "I…I want to talk about Rogue and Gambit."

"I know, Scott. Go ahead." Xavier once again possessed that sincere, understanding voice he always spoke in.

"Something changed…"

"What do you mean?"

"She, well, she lets him touch her now. And…and in the car…"

"Keep going, it's okay."

"Rogue said she loved him." Scott's words shocked him and he was hoping, more than anything, that Xavier would provide him comfort. "I'm happy she seems to have found someone," he continued, "but for so long she tormented herself in isolation because of her abilities and I'm worried now that…that… she'll destroy herself. Now having experienced that feeling it'll driver her even madder not being able to touch him and I'm scared she'll do something drastic."

"I understand your fears Scott. I noticed the same thing in the infirmary and we will keep a very close eye on her. If anything happens that worries you do not hesitate to tell me."

Scott nodded, having nothing else to say.

"Now go back to the infirmary and get some more rest. I know Jean planned on visiting you sometime today."

Scott took Xavier's advice and left without another word.

Back in the ivory-bathed medical wing, Gambit awoke frightened after a particularly agonizing dream he could remember perfectly. _He had been brainwashed by Mesmero and forced to fight Rogue in her weakened state. With no mercy he struck her down and with unsympathetic eyes watched her bleed out and die. Then, being released by Mesmero, mourned the loss of his love for the rest of his life. _The dream caused him to physically hyperventilate and Rogue slipped off of his chest and onto the pillow.

Seeing Scott struggle back into his bed, Gambit slid out from under the rest of Rogue's body and tip-toed past Scott with a passing nod.

Within a matter of minutes the same lofty, mahogany door opened with a different, concerned mutant entering and taking up residence on the same chocolate-colored couch.

"Shouldn't you be resting, Gambit?"

"Can't…I had a…never mind. I need t'tell y'something 'bout Rogue."

"Yes?"

Gambit rubbed the back of his neck and recalled the worrisome scene, "After de crash, when we were facin' Magneto, Rogue tried t'use his powers but when she closed her eyes she…she screamed an' then collapsed. I… I don' want y'to encourage her t'do that anymore, 'cause I know she wants to. But I'm frightened it could very well kill her."

Xavier nodded, knowing Gambit wanted to keep talking.

"She'll push herself t'death. Y'know dis as well as I do. If she tries again she might lose it. I want y' to make her stop."

Xavier lowered his head sympathetically, "you know I cannot_ force_ her to stop, no one can. But I will not have her train that skill until we figure this out, I promise."

Gambit nodded, not totally satisfied but glad he expressed his concerns, and left to rejoin his girl in their single bed.

It was about 5 o'clock and the moment Gambit slipped back into the bed Rogue woke up to peer into his scruffy face. "Bonjour chere," he smiled genuinely.

"Hey Cajun."

Those two whispered words made Gambit become a fool. Scott's bed lay empty and they were alone together.

"So I hear y'love me," Gambit teased charmingly, leaning down for what would have been a good-morning kiss for any other couple, but for them was an _almost_ Eskimo kiss.

Rogue, playfully pushed against his chest as a bashful smile curled across her lips and she chuckled, "Maybe."

"Y'hungry?" Gambit asked.

"Ummm, yeah but Ah've got t'do something first… meet y'in the kitchen?"

He smiled, "Of course."

Gambit strolled off towards the kitchen as Rogue rounded the opposite corner and knocked on a soaring, mahogany door. She creaked open the entry and said to the open space, "Y'here Professor?"

Yet again, Xavier turned invitingly from his favorite window and offered Rogue the couch. She refused it and stayed standing. "I thought I'd be hearing from you soon, Rogue."

Pacing back and forth for several minutes, Rogue finally blurted out, "What's happenin' to me?"

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><p><strong>Chapter 16! :)<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading and reviewing :)  
><strong>

**Again, I DO NOT know when I will update next. Sorry!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION**


	17. Is This The End?

****Hey everyone :)

I'm on break and had some time to write :) yay!

Kind of an intense chapter but I'm not going to give anything away

Anyways enjoy :) and R&R!

* * *

><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 17: Is This The End? <strong>

"Y'r what?" Rogue stammered out, still pacing through Xavier's office.

"I'm sorry," Xavier said calmly, "but you heard me right."

"Bannin' meh from the danger room!" Rogue exploded, "What the hell Professor? If anyone should be bann'd it's Scott! His leg is broken, only mah wrist is!"

"Training will be off limits to_ all three_ of you."

"What am Ah supposed t'do all day?" Rogue asked, not relaxing at all.

"For starters," Xavier said wheeling from behind his desk to be closer to her, "I would like you to see me daily so we can figure out what is happening in your head."

"In mah— that damn Cajun talk'd t'you didn' he?" She threw her hands up, forgetting the extra weight of the plaster cast on her wrist, "Ah'm goin' t'kill him."

"I take it he expressed his concerns to you too then."

Rogue fell silent while she began to wander about the room raising trinkets up to her eyes and pretending to examine them so as to not answer Xavier. "He might have mentioned it," she spoke softly through an old dusty book.

Xavier nodded. "Be back her sometime today and we will begin."

This time Rogue nodded, her white tresses falling gracefully into her pale face.

She didn't have to know where the kitchen was to find it, not with the smell of Gambit's cooking filling the corridors of the mansion. Rogue made a sharp turn through an ivory doorway and found Gambit, his arm half in a pot, stirring away.

"Gumbo?" she asked leaning cutely against the entryway.

He turned away from his pot and Rogue noticed his face was flushed with a red color from, what she guessed, was the high temperature of his food.

"Is it spicy?" She smiled, knowing that the answer was yes.

He dipped a gleaming, silver spoon into the pot then, making sure it was sufficiently filled with burgundy liquid, chivalrously tipped it into Rogue's open mouth.

"Spicy enough, darlin'?" he said at last.

"Pour me a bowl, Cajun."

He didn't hesitate to fulfill her request and within a matter of minutes they were seated around the peach granite island sucking down gumbo.

"Where'd y'go?"

"Don' worry 'bout meh," she responded hoping he wouldn't press the issue.

"Because I don' do that ev'ryday already," he tried to laugh even though he knew she wouldn't find that funny.

"Ah never asked y'to care 'bout me," Rogue plopped her spoon in the gumbo.

"Never asked me t'love y'either."

Both froze. Neither took another spoonful, neither said another word, neither were used to that word yet.

"Sorry Gambit Ah have t'go," Rogue began to walk away when Gambit called out to her.

"Wait," hearing his voice she turned to face him, "Is it what I said?"

A sincere smile crossed her thin lips, "No."

Before she could get to far away, Gambit swerved around the island and took hold of her gloved hand, "Promise, chere?"

"Promise."

With that, he raised her hand up to his lips and gave it a tender kiss then let her walk away.

Strolling through Xavier's mahogany door she stated, "Okay, Ah think Ah'm ready."

He motioned for her to take up residence in the empty lounger adjacent to him. She slumped into the surprisingly yielding plum cushion. Allowing Rogue to regain her composure Xavier said, "Now I don't know what I'll find in there."

"Ah don' care. Let's just do this."

He nodded once again; raising his hands close to her temples he closed his eyes.

When he reopened his aged eyes he saw anarchy. The city he appeared to be in was painted with a bloody hue of crimson and mutants ran rapid all around. Many of the mutants he could distinguish as certain personalities. Xavier saw Magneto fighting Wolverine and Kurt fighting Bobby, Gambit fighting Tabby and Pyro fighting Colossus, Sabertooth fighting Cyclops and Jean fighting Amara. Behind all the discernible mutants was ebony shadows locked in conflict as well. Friends fought friends and no one seemed to have a reason why, they were just angry and violent and full of unbridled rage.

"No wonder she collapsed, she's supporting a war zone in here!" His sudden speech drew a few of the livid mutants towards him and Xavier had no choice but to leave.

Pulling out of her mind he peered into a worried Rogue's face. Not knowing why she was so concerned until he realized he was hyperventilating dreadfully.

"Professor?" Rogue breathed, attempting to reach her hand out to him for comfort. "What happened in there?"

Recapturing a normal breathing pattern he answered, "Chaos. Pure chaos. People are tearing each other apart which in turn is tearing your mind apart."

Rogue made no reply. She had no words suitable.

"Rogue?" he continued.

"Yeah?"

Xavier leaned forward as a thought dawned on him. "The most aggressive mutants in your mind were Kurt, Gambit, Pyro, and Magneto. Does that mean anything to you?"

She slumped back into the plum armchair trying to find a connection between those four mutants. "Kurt, Gambit, Pyro, and Magneto," she whispered over and over to herself. "Kurt, Gambit, Pyro, and Magneto."

Both her and Xavier thought of every possible connection those four could have to one another, and then it dawned upon Rogue. "Ah've got it!"

"A connection?"

"Yes, it's meh! They're not connected in any special way. It's meh! Those are the four Ah've used the most since y'taught meh t'apply others' powers. Professor, it's meh."

"Of course, every time you use a psyche it becomes more dominant over the others in your mind. I guess after a while any one certain psyche could have became too dominant to the point of violence."

"What do Ah do now?" her voice was unsteady and Rogue's concern showed clearly on her face as she didn't try to contain it, "There's a freikin' battlefield in mah head!" She clutched either side of the amethyst couch and took several deep breaths. "Help meh."

"Rogue, calm down. You must calm down. I have a theory."

She gazed into his eyes with burning tears filling her own.

"Maybe if you don't use any of their powers their psyches will calm down and in time order will be restored."

"Worth'a shot," she acknowledged.

Every week for three months Rogue would stop by the Professor's office and he would take a look inside her head. In the end, he proved to be right. All the psyches had calmed down and the warfare had stopped. Rogue hadn't collapsed since her encounter with Magneto and she and Gambit's relationship had very slowly progressed since they both said I love you.

By now, all three were free of their casts and things had returned to what one could only hope would be normal… except things were never normal.

It was about 4 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon and Rogue and Gambit were lying by the pool. Rogue, being persuaded by Gambit to sun her actual skin instead of her clothes, was in shorts, a taut charcoal t-shirt, and gloved hands dangling over the edge of her lawn chair to hold Gambit's. Each wore a satisfied grin, until they heard the emergency alarm go reeling through the hot summer air.

"Meet in living room NOW. Meet in living room NOW. Meet in living room NOW."

They scurried up from their dingy white lawn chairs and darted into the mansion. "What's goin' on Kit?" Rogue asked seeing her already sitting at attention on the sofa.

"Like I don't know! But it's gotta be important."

"That's what Ah'm afraid of," Rogue whispered to herself.

Xavier came into the living room with a sullen look on his face, "Flip on the TV someone."

Jean did so.

An attractive news anchor sat on a high-top stool with a look of panic on her face as she reported, "the power plant attacks we all thought ended months ago have commenced once again. This time at Bayville's last remaining electrical plant. If this energy source falls so does the light in Bayville. Cameras on scene have gotten footage of five teenagers blockading the power plant as it appears others, what are now being called terrorists, work within the plant. More on the story later."

"No," Rogue breathed.

"We must send everyone," Xavier stated, "It appears he's employed the brotherhood and we'll need everyone to stop Magneto from plunging Bayville into darkness."

"This seems like a bad idea, Professor," Jean put forth.

"We have no other choice," he offered grimly, "Now suit up."

The hum of the X-jet unnerved everyone on board. They were frightened, their stomachs in knots, their throats seeming to run dry. None of them had a good feeling about this, and everyone knew it. The pressure in the air shifted as the cloaked jet landed on the roof of the power plant. Everyone, brotherhood included, knew it had begun…

Kurt was the first to attack. He ported from the imperceptible aircraft right behind Avalanche. Suspended in midair, Kurt kicked Lance's back with all his might, forcing him to face plant onto the rigid cement then swiftly ported away. After that, Kurt ported down with Bobby at the rear of Toad. Bobby, stifling a laugh, froze Toad's feet to the ground then grabbed Kurt and disappeared.

"Be ready! It's begun."

One last time, Kurt ported down with Cyclops. However, they were taken by surprise when Blob launched out his big belly and the two went flying into a building wall.

A faint "Now!" could be heard in the distance and without warning X-men began plummeting downward encircling the brotherhood. Quicksilver swiftly broke through the line of X-men and began running circles around Amara until she began to float in the air, blinded by the excess of wind he had created.

Kitty launched herself at Lance and tackled him to the ground. Lying on his back, Kitty fazed half of his horizontal body into the pavement with a winking smirk. He returned her smile and shook the ground until his body was free of its cement prison. He continued to quake the earth as Kitty uneasily moved about and endeavored to become close enough to land a hit on him.

Kurt and Scott, having recovered from their collision with the wall, decided to focus on Wanda who was situated at the crook of the building silently observing. Seeing Scott running at her, Wanda caught him in her energy and began flying him like a kite as a wicked smile warped her lips from corner to corner. Kurt ported behind her and attempted to sweep his leg under hers as he had once done to Pyro. However Wanda anticipated this move and caught him in her restraining, sapphire energy as well.

Jean, distinguishing her boyfriend being flown ungraciously in the air, attempted to enter Wanda's mind and disable her. The two females pushed and pulled at each others mentality with no clear winner in sight.

With most of the brotherhood occupied, the remaining X-men penetrated into the structure expecting a demanding battle. Storm, Gambit, Beast, and Rogue stood facing Colossus and Pyro.

"Let's play," Pyro commanded.

Storm lifted herself high into the air, her blue eyes shifting into electric yellow as she shot bolts of lightening at Colossus. With some apparent scarring, the electricity flowed through Colossus's body and into the ground below. As he ran spherical, scorched footprints were left in the cement flooring. He went after Beast, who had a struggle punching him as his metal skin was blistering hot.

Pyro, eyeing his old friend, screamed out, "You gonna come get me mate? Gonna punish me for what I did to her?" He almost laughed as he peered at Rogue. Gambit reached deep into his trench coat and pulled out three glowering pink cards that he let fly with intent on hitting Pyro's igniters. Unfortunately, they never struck their target because Pyro incinerated them before they had the chance.

However, this diversion gave Rogue enough time to sneak up behind Pyro and clap her hands over his ears. Shrieking in pain, Pyro didn't notice the next cluster of three cards that went soaring at his torso. While he was exploded into a nearby control panel, Rogue stole one of his igniters and smashed it to pieces.

Screams could be heard from the exterior of the edifice and no one knew who the belonged to. The searing summer sky grew thick and stale as everything seemed to stop. Arduous breathing was the only sound audible as Magneto sauntered into the focal area of the power plant where the fighting had occurred.

"How disappointing," he began gliding about the scene, "How disappointing. Mutant against mutant. Brother against brother!" He passed Scott and Kurt being held by his own daughter and smiled, "However! It would appear my mutants, my brothers are triumphing in this skirmish we seem to be waging." He soared by Avalanche looming over a bruised Kitty and only had guesses as to how it happened then continued, "To my other brothers, join me or you will be destroyed here and now. What do you say?"

Amara let out a scream as her rump hit the ground, "Never," she spat out at him.

"Do you all feel that way then?" He looked around at the nodding X-men's faces, "Pity. Then," he addressed his own team, "destroy them—" Every mutant that wasn't a part of the X-men possessed a sinful sneer as they drew up ready positions.

"Wait!" Rogue shouted out. Bringing herself to her feet she stood face to face with Magneto. "There is one other way." He cocked a suspicious eyebrow at her and she looked gravely down at the earth whispering, "It ends how it began."

"What's that my dear?"

All at once, Rogue whipped her head up, eyes gleaming a vivid crimson she blasted Magneto with the full power of Scott's mutation. Rogue followed Magneto's soaring body, not letting up on the blast. Tears could be seen escaping from the corners of her blasting eyes as she watched Magneto's clothes burn off his body, and then his flesh sear away from his scarlet, throbbing exposed muscles.

With that, Rogue brought her optic blast to a halt and as she saw his tender, smoking tissue fall to the ground, limp and lifeless, she too collapsed with a resounding thud.

Every_thing_ stopped, every_one _stopped. The shock of the murder seemed to penetrate their bones and immobilize them. A shrill scream pierced the motionless air, "Father!" To everyone's surprise it was Wanda's. She and Pietro were the first to run to the aid of a lifeless corpse, and weep.

The next to break the shock-induced daze was Gambit. He sprinted to Rogue's body and cradled her in his brawny, shaking arms repeating the phrase, "Come back t'me. Come back t'me." He bent his head downward into her torso then cried into the feverous sky, "God damn it come back t'me!"

All the X-men had gathered together in the rubble outside. They took each others' hands feeling the ache of losing one of their own and let themselves weep. Tears plunged down Kitty's face as she sobbed loudly and sought comfort in Kurt's chest, who was also soiling his cobalt fur with tears.

Gambit picked up Rogue's cold body, bridal-style like he always did, except this time her head and arms hung limp instead of wrapping around his collar like usual. With tears streaming down his face, Gambit laid Rogue down adjoining the other X-men. He once again cradled her body and began to rock back and forth with her icy form enveloped tight within his warm arms. "No, y'can't leave me. I love you…I love you."

Jean had to look away as she blubbered into Scott's neckline.

Storm was the first to place a comforting hand on Gambit's shoulder, followed by Beast then Kurt then Jean then Scott and so on. By now, Gambit was clutching Rogue tighter than ever before. Hugging Rogue's unconscious body, her head rested on his shoulder and was therefore out of his sight. The back of her navy blue uniform was bathed with his salty tears.

Over his trembling shoulder, Rogue's eyelashes gradually flickered. Her thin, pallid lips gaped open, and then closed again. She attempted to speak but only a coarse heaving noise came out. Not hearing her gasping over his boisterous cries, Gambit could feel her, what he thought lifeless body, move. He jerked her back to face him with such force that her head whipped backwards before he could see the truth in her glossy, emerald eyes: she was alive!

Tears still burned the rigid flesh of his cheeks, but these tears were tears of joy, tears of ecstasy. Disregarding his own health, Gambit pulled Rogue up to his lips. Neither cared about her mutation, neither seemed to remember. Their mouths released upon contact and their lips opened and closed in perfect rhythm with the other.

Then suddenly Gambit's world grew dark as he knew it would.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading and reviewing! <strong>

**Were you surprised?  
><strong>

**So what do you think, is this the end? **

**I know... but you'll have to wait to find out!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION**


	18. A Murderer's Conscience

Hey Everyone :)

So the last chapter was NOT the end :0 hahaha

Anyways, haven't updated in awhile because I was in Washington D.C. for a week and came back with BRONCHITIS! And while on bed rest what better thing to do than write?

Hope you enjoy and R&R!

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 18: A Murderer's Conscience<strong>

The air had an unusually cool nip in it for a summer breeze. The funeral was not held at a church or at the mansion. No. All mutants— X-men, acolyte, and brotherhood— surrounded a silver-flecked charcoal gravestone on the local cemetery's hill that read the name 'ERIK LENCHER ~Beloved friend and father~'. No one dared speak, no one could. Warm voices choke while icy sobs were allowed to run free. Only one voice rose above the black-clothed crowd.

"We are gathered here today to not only celebrate the life of a dear personal friend of mine and great adversary to us, but a true visionary," Xavier was choked-up not knowing if he had the strength to go on then continued, "Erik Lencher cared for mutants greatly. He dedicated his life to bringing independence to theirs, and although our methods were diverse, our ideals were one. He knew the price of these ideals, and he paid them."

Rogue's stomach flipped violently and turned fiercely inside of her as he spoke these words, and although no one was looking at her she felt as if their nonexistent stares she swore she sensed upon her face carried the burning intensity of a thousand suns.

"Although our 'teams' may have different names and different faces," Xavier, his eyes filling with tears, peered about at his own mourning X-men and at Magneto's own grief-stricken brotherhood and acolytes then persisted, "we all have a common goal. Perhaps this one tragic event will bring us closer together…as mutants… 'As brothers' to quote a great man."

Gambit, dressed in a sullen ash and charcoal suit, attempted to reach his bare hand out to Rogue's covered one. As he did so she retreated farther into herself, enveloping her torso further into the onyx, lace wrap draped about her shoulders with the purpose of covering her floor-length, slate dress that she donned.

A translucent tear rolled down the curve of Rogue's supple face. Her thoughts plagued her more than locust plagued the desserts of Egypt. 'Murderer. There is no forgiveness for you. No redemption in your future. No salvation. No friends… No love. You are a murderer.' Rogue stood there shivering, not from the chill in the air but from the chill of the nightmares she embedded in her own mind.

Gambit once again reached out his hand to comfort his girlfriend, except she ripped away from him once again and broke. In the midst of all the mourning, Rogue ran. She ran to a nearby oak tree and fell to the moist grass, her back slamming against the rigid bark as she bawled. 'Murderer!' Her make-up smeared along the length of her elongated gloves as she wiped her sodden eyes. 'Murderer!'

Across the yard, Magneto's funeral had progressed into each mutant who could still vocalize their words giving speeches and paying their respects. The muffled sounds of despaired mutants made Rogue's heart sink until she felt it could go no lower. "Ah took away their father," Rogue sniveled as she heard Pietro talking. "Ah destroyed their family." Her back skidded off the tree's foundation and she sobbed into the dew of the fresh cut grass not knowing what to do next. Unexpectedly, her back arched as her chest heaved in and out. Rogue's slender figure writhed while she hurled up discolored flem instead of the breakfast she felt to nauseous to eat.

Unsteadily she lifted herself on to shaky knees as she meandered back to the crowd of her peers. As soon as Rogue clutched the back of an unknown mutant's suit for stability the harsh wind picked up and whipped against her face as if trying to slap her pale features. Letting go of Bobby's jacket, Rogue announced, "Ah'd like t'say a few words."

Xavier nodded, although Pietro had to hold a scowling Wanda back.

"Ah…Ah," Rogue struggled to find the right words, "Ah don't expect any of y'to forgive meh. So Ah shall not ask for such a thing. Mah actions took away a friend, a father, and a leader," she stopped to wipe tears from her smeared eyes, "It is little consolation f'r meh t'say Ah'd change mah actions if Ah had a second chance. Ah'm truly sorry and Ah don't know what else t'say t'you all." Her voice finally choked and she was unable to regain it. Rogue melted back into the crowd of shadowed mutants and took her place leaning against Gambit's chest as the wind raged about them.

After countless ivory lilies and crimson roses were placed at the foot of the gravestone, the sullen mutants returned like ghosts to their respectable abodes.

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><p>Olive green sheets tore apart as Rogue clenched the cool fabric tight in her fists, screaming, "No, no, no!" Her upper body shot up in her bed when suddenly she was overcome by vertigo and her head whirled back into the mahogany headboard. "Ouch!" Her body slumped down to the mattress once again, trembling incessantly. "No!" She shouted again, clenching her eyes shut, "Get away from meh! You're dead!" Rogue dug her nails all the way through her pale pillow and shrieked in terror.<p>

Her door swung open and almost off the hinges as Jean and Scott darted to her bedside. Jean attempted to grab Rogue's quivering arm where her sleeve sufficiently covered it but had little luck in her endeavor seeing as Rogue was thrashing about from side to side. "Get away from meh! Y'r not real!" Rogue screeched in horror.

As Kitty and Kurt arrived in Rogue's doorway they witnessed Scott trying to shake Rogue awake, saying, "Rogue, it's just a dream, wake up. Wake up." Her body squirmed beneath his cold touch and her back arched up then plummeted into the mattress as her head knocked into his. Scott stumbled back and Jean caught his fatigued body.

"What's going on with her?" Kitty squealed as they entered the room.

"She's having a nightmare," Jean replied, "I can only guess it has to do with Magneto." The concern in her voice was clearly audible.

Rogue began to claw at an imperceptible noose around her neck while she let out one final scream then collapsed.

Motionless.

Noiseless.

She lay sprawled across her bed.

"Is she—?"

All of a sudden, a frantic voice paired with frenzied footsteps could be heard through the corridor, "Move! Move! Move!" A crash was heard, and then a second voice just as gruff and hysterical, "Lemme through!"

Within a matter of seconds Logan and Gambit burst through Rogue's doorway and into the crowd of already concerned mutants. "Wha— what happen'd?" Gambit breathed, given that their two rooms were on the other side of the mansion.

"She was having a nightmare. It must have been pretty real too because she was thrashing around and screaming," Scott answered.

"And now?"

"We don't know…" Scott told him uncomfortably, "She just stopped."

"Guys," Kitty piped up. They all turned to her, "If you like die in a dream what happens to you in the real world?"

With that, Wolverine shoved his way through the kids until he was next to Rogue's emerald bedspread. Subsequently, he reached out his hand to her wrist but was stopped by Scott.

"What do you think your doing?"

He growled at the younger mutant. "Checkin' for a pulse."

"You won't be conscious long enough to feel it," Scott argued.

"Maybe," he acknowledged, "But outta everyone I've got the best chance."

He leaned his hand back down when Gambit barged in, "Wait!" Wolverine snarled at him too. "This is unnecessary. I know where she keeps her gloves." They all watched with more wonder than they should have as Gambit opened Rogue's bottom draw and slid a few bras out of the way until he saw a fresh pair of black satin gloves that he proceeded to pass to Jean.

"Shocker you'd know where her bras are too, Cajun," Wolverine scoffed.

Jean slid on the gloves with care and laid her slender fingers on top of the veins in Rogue's wrist. After a few minutes of unsettling silence she announced, "Rogue has a pulse, but it's very faint." Every mutant let out an uncomfortable sigh of relief, in view of the fact that she would still not awaken.

"Now what?" Kurt posed, "Do we let her lie?"

Rogue seemed to answer that question herself as she started to gasp out a word that was not yet discernable. "He— he's—" Her eyes fluttered open but quickly shut once again.

"He? He's what? Who's he?" Scott tried to ask Rogue.

Rogue tilted her head up and with a vast gulp of air whispered, "Coming."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading and reviewing!<strong>

**There WILL be another chapter. Promise.**

**I don't know when... like usual. **

**Much love everyone :)**

**Until next time!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION**


	19. It's My Life

Hey Everybody!

Btw i had to point out that I am, right this very minute, eating ben and jerry's ice cream:) (not that you care)

So I kind of wrote this chapter in little episodes. Hope you guys enjoy :)

And as always R&R!

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 19: It's My Life and I'll Do with It What I Want<strong>

Rogue's exhausted torso was tenderly elevated on to a man's amiable lap as she opened her eyes and the crust attached to them began to crack up and descend. As her vision cleared, the blurred scene of peach and auburn gave way to a familiar mutant's face.

"Chere? Y'okay?" Gambit whispered, being mindful of her tired state.

"Why—why are y'in mah room, Gambit?" Rogue stumbled into a seated position under her snug emerald comforter next to him. Seeing the puzzled look on his face she paused for a second, and then flipping on her bedside lamp to illuminate the room saw everyone else taking up temporary residence there. "What's goin' on?"

"Who's coming?" Scott asked, protruding from the crowd of concerned mutants.

Rogue's eyebrows curled together in confusion as she asked, "What are y'talkin' 'bout?"

Gambit leaned over and caressed the comforter where he knew her hand was, "Rogue?" He sounded exceptionally troubled, which only worsened Rogue's confusion.

"Yeah?"

"Do y'remember what happ'ned last night?"

"Ah…" she rubbed her head, "Ah was sleepin' last night."

"Dat it?"

"Yeah…" Rogue stopped again to massage her temples, "And then Ah woke up t'all y'guys here in mah room."

Jean took a seat on the bed by Gambit questioning, "Nothing else happened to you last night?"

Rogue, still befuddled, answered, "Not that Ah remember." Worried looks were exchanged back and forth by everyone when Rogue continued, "Why? _Did _something happen t'meh last night?"

Gambit offered her an endearing smile and responded with a stroke of her snow white tresses, "No Cherie, not a t'ing."

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><p>2 days later.<p>

Rogue and Kitty were downstairs surrounding the peach granite island in their pj's discussing the newest infatuation in Kitty's life which happened to be stepping on Kurt's tail. At the same time, Gambit was on a much more serious errand. He was once again behind that soaring mahogany door that came to represent sanity within the insane: Xavier's office.

"I want y'to," he argued.

"No Gambit," Xavier disagreed as he shook his head, "it's invasive and dishonest."

"Y'do it all de time!" he exploded, "But dis time I'm askin' y'to do it fo' a good reason. I know she's not okay!"

"That may be the case," Xavier retorted, "However if she wants to return to a 'normal' life I will _not _be the one to prevent her from doing so unless I see she's beginning to self-destruct again."

"Y'gotta Xavier," he continued, relentlessly pacing through his office, "Y'gotta probe her mind. I know dat dream's still in dere and its gotta be hauntin' her. I need t'know exactly what dat dream was."

He opened up an old, dusty book as Xavier responded, "I will not prod her unless she asks me to, Gambit. Accept that." He slammed the book shut with a loud thud that stung both of their ears and a dust cloud that caused their eyes to water.

"I'll accept dat," Gambit clenched his fists, "But accept dis, I'm not goin' t'stop. I'm goin' t'find out what happened to her."

Xavier, already knowing the answer to his question, asked, "Why is it so important that you know?"

Gambit turned to him with wild eyes as he smashed his palms on to the desk swearing, "Merde! Alors…alors…Je ne peux protéger son prochain! 1"

_***Damn it! So…so… I can protect her next time!1 ***_

Xavier simply nodded without a sound.

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><p>1 day later.<p>

Rogue flopped on to her bed after a brutal danger room session with Logan. "Damn him," she cursed peering at the singes on her uniform's forearm from the laser drills they were forced to run, and then rerun, and then rerun again.

As she was contemplating whether she should sew her current uniform or ask for a new one, there was a knock at Rogue's door. "Not locked," she shouted to whoever her guest was. Gambit sauntered in as if he belonged there and plopped down next to her.

"I had a thought," he began as she turned her weary head towards him.

"An' what's that, Cajun?"

"Let's go out fo' dinner tonight."

"Candlelight?" Rogue teased with a grin.

"Oui."

"Roses?" she carried on.

"Of course."

"Champagne?" she laughed.

"Why Chere y'r not old enough t'drink," he responded with an ear-to-ear smile.

Returning his smile she crooned, "Jus' lemme take a shower first."

He nodded, and then taking his gloved thumb traced the contour of her lips asking, "Need some company?"

Rogue shoved him off her jade green bed and only after hearing the pound of his flank strike her tan carpet responded, "No thanks."

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><p>Due to past experiences Gambit knew exactly how much time he had from the moment Rogue's foot touched the linoleum floor of her shower to when she slipped that same foot into her high-heeled boots, plus the added time Kitty would expend grilling her for information while helping her with her hair. Because of this, he knew he had enough time to go see Jean before his dinner date.<p>

She too was relaxing in her room after Logan's session.

"Come in." Gambit came hurriedly in and stood in the far corner of the space, peering out the window. "What can I do you for Gambit?" she asked cheerily.

"I need y'r opinion," he sounded sullen.

"Yeah…"

"Three days ago, Rogue's nightmare," she nodded in understanding, "Dat was no normal nightmare. Any ideas why it was so real t'her?"

"I…I," she stuttered, "I don't have much experience with the mental aspect of Rogue's mutation. Have you asked the Professor?"

He began his pacing once again and continued, "Jus' give me y'r best guess."

"Well, from what I understand, when she absorbs someone they stay in her. A shade of them I guess?" He nodded, having experienced this first hand with his own double. "And I'm assuming the man in Rogue's dream was Magneto." He nodded again, having figured that much out. "So maybe it was real for her because in the dream he was attacking her but in her mind his shade was?" Jean seemed puzzled by her own accusations. "Is that possible?"

"Wit' Rogue, anyt'ing's possible."

"How could she stop something in her head?" Jean asked, beginning to understand the complexity of Rogue's mutation.

"Thanks fo' yo' help, Jean," and with that he disappeared off of her balcony.

Gambit rolled through the dew-filled blades of emerald grass until regaining his standing posture and promenading back to the doors of the mansion to see one other person.

Kurt's door nearly swung off its hinges as Gambit entered without a courtesy knock.

"Uhhh, hey man," Kurt offered.

"Bonjour mon ami," for nearly ripping his door off the wall Gambit was in a pretty chipper mood Kurt thought, "I need t'ask y'something."

"About Rogue?"

"Oui. Y'r sister, has she ev'r had a'nightmare like dat before?"

"Once. It involved Mystique and me. She was almost living Mystique's memory as her dream," he stopped to remember the horror that memory presented to him, "anyways, she thrashed around then too."

Gambit nodded, checked the time, and then became absent from Kurt's room.

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><p>Rogue opened her door in a spaghetti-strap silk, garnet dress that, Gambit would have said, hung perfectly on her every curve. Her pale skin was illuminated by glossy ivory curls pulled back over auburn ones with a diamond bobby pin. Rogue adorned not charcoal boots but stilettos, Gambit guessed she was serious about the candlelight and champagne, with onyx gloves that reached her upper arm and the same lace wrap she wore to Magneto's funeral.<p>

He'd seen her quote on quote "doll up" before but every time it rendered him speechless. He simply outstretched his arm and waited for his beautiful girlfriend to take it and hopefully start the conversation. She did.

"So where y'takin' meh?" The raven eyeliner she donned made the green of her eyes shine like emeralds against their snowy backgrounds. "'Cause y'know Ah don't get dressed up for jus' any occasion."

"Candlelight, roses, an' champagne? I got a'perfect place in mind," he smirked as his arm found its way around her waist.

Gambit's motorcycle revved into the driveway of a world famous Mario Batalli restaurant as he peered over his shoulder to the girl leaning against his broad back and commented, "Good enough fo' you?"

"We'll see," she whispered into his ear.

The waiting line was over two hours long so they had time to chat. They talked about what they'd been through, how they feel about each other, random comical things they've observed about the other students, and after an hour and a half had gone by they had gotten to the Magneto incident.

"Rogue…"

She turned away from him and pretended to reread the menu she'd already browsed through several times.

"Rogue…"

He lifted the menu from her hands and replaced it with his hands.

"Ah don't want t'discuss this."

"Y'need to."

She peered into his face, "No Ah don't," Rogue gingerly caressed the contour of his jaw, "Gambit Ah have to get on wit' mah life, not look back."

"But what if lookin' in de past could save yo' future?"

"Because Ah cannot move backwards, Ah have t'push forwards or Ah'll unravel inside! Ah'll lose it! Ah'll go crazy!" Her raised voice had begun to draw the attention of the other patrons in line. "Wait a second," she took no notice of the other people, "'save mah future'? You've already looked back into it haven't you?" He gazed over her head at the selection of wine bottles and endeavored to avoid eye contact. "Didn't you!"

"I…Rogue yo' bein' ridiculous, y'need t'figure this out!"

"No, Ah need t'regain some sense of normality! Ah thought YOU out of everyone would understand that."

"I do!"

"Then butt out of mah life! Stop investigatin' or talkin' t'people or whatever the hell y'r doin'! This is MAH life and Ah'll deal wit' this how Ah see fit."

The large crowds of people waiting to taste even a bite of remarkable Italian food had uncomfortably created a barrier around Rogue and Gambit, pretending to turn their backs and not hear a thing.

"Yo' life? Yo' life?" he fumed, "Rogue! We are in dis toget'er! It ain't jus' you. It ain't jus' yo' life. Rogue, it's OUR life now!"

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading and reviewing!<strong>

**Love ya'll for that :)**

**Also, if there is something that you are just dying to see happen in this story feel free to tell me!**

**Until next time,**

**Bye**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION**


	20. Promise

****Hey everyone:)

So chapter 20 you finally get to find out what her nightmare was! with a little added Romy drama because come on who doesn't love that :)

Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing and

enjoy:)

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 20: Promise<strong>

"Taxi! Taxi!" Rogue was flailing her arms violently trying to acquire a cab before Gambit could catch up to her. "Taxi!" The heel of her black stiletto got caught in a crack in the sidewalk's cement blocks and had snapped off causing Rogue to tumble a little to one side until she found her bearings on a bright cherry fire hydrant. "Taxi!" she continued not caring, "Taxi!"

Her endeavors failed given that just as a vivid yellow car with black checkers pulled up Gambit grabbed her hand and spun her off-balanced figure into him. "Rogue, stop."

"Lemme go!" She wrestled against his broad chest.

"No, dis is somet'ing we need t'discuss," he held her tight.

"Remy, Ah'm goin' home. Now let me go or Ah'll scream an' get police down here."

The cab driver honked in impatience.

"I'll meet y'there. We hav'to talk." He released his grip slightly, but still held her taut by the left wrist.

"Ah'm not the talkin' type," she jeered at him as she flattened her fingers together and jabbed him sideways with them in the throat while almost simultaneously hurtling into the lemon taxi.

Back at the mansion, Rogue hobbled up to her room with her broken shoe. Dragging herself to the emerald bed she slipped off all her jewelry and dress, fishing under her pillow for the comfiest pair of pj's she owned. Shaking her hair out of its ridiculous state, she crumbled on to her bed in pain.

Letting out a silent scream, she relived the nightmare…

Rogue was once again in the warehouse of an electrical plant, only this time it was exceedingly cold inside. Only one mutant stood beside her: Magneto. As chills ran through her body she realized she had woken up in the middle of a fight. With an effortless flick of his hand Magneto enclosed Rogue's feet with the metal that lay beneath them, raised her up into the air and spun the platform until she vomited. Letting out a nasty laugh he levitated her platform over to him, hanging it upside-down, as he began to say something in the appearance of "I win", but before he could Rogue ripped off her gloves and grabbed his exposed face. Thinking she'd just gained the upper-hand Rogue expected his powers to falter and to hit the ground momentarily. But she didn't. She didn't fall. She didn't have his powers. She didn't absorb him. In this nightmare she had no powers.

Magneto smiled sinfully as he peeled her hands off his face and began to twist them backwards. Shrieking in pain Rogue yelled, "Get away from meh! Y'r not real!"

Again with a smile he responded, "Oh, I'm very real to you in here." Then he released her from the metal platform and consented to let her fall to the icy ground.

In the real world, Rogue was trembling fiercely as she rolled around on her bed in distress…

Standing up, her body shaking violently from the cold, Rogue lunged at Magneto with a high kick. He evaded it. Next, she ducked behind him, seeing her breathe in front of her it seemed to be getting even colder, and elbowed him as hard as she could in the back. He stumbled forward only a few steps and then turned around to laugh, frost beginning to form on his crimson shoulder pads. Rogue peered down at her own hands noticing the tips of her fingers turning a pale baby blue. She once again charged for Magneto only to be held by the wrists and ankles by makeshift manacles he was controlling.

"You should go home," he began, "and wrap yourself in a blanket. It's much to cold for you here." Spreading apart his fingers, Rogue rose in the air and suddenly plummeted back down.

With her head spinning from the collision she told him, "Get it over quick, you pompous jackass," then spit on his boot.

Abruptly, Rogue went soaring through the air until she collided with the opposite wall and crumpled to the ground with a thud. There was a gash in her head, however minimal blood was split because it had frozen before it could pool beneath her…

Rogue's body shot up in alarm from her bed. Her hands were still shaking even though it was nearly seventy-five degrees outside. She was traumatized, thinking she'd never have to experience that delusion again, she was wrong. With quivering hands, she lifted herself from the bed to her shower, hoping the warm water would relieve her psychological hypothermia.

After she exited the shower most of her shaking had stopped, although the memories still plagued her. Rogue brushed her hair and grabbing a pair of olive cotton shorts and a charcoal t-shirt she leapt out her window and climbed to the roof. Perched precariously on the crook of the mansion's rooftop Rogue sat down and curled her knees into her chest, letting the wind blow her hair dry.

Sometime between her shower and now, Gambit had arrived back at the mansion. After changing himself, he went looking for Rogue. He searched her room first and saw nothing but clothes everywhere and blankets and sheets all askew. He had searched the entire mansion ten times over and couldn't find any trace of her, then it donned on him and he checked the on place he hadn't: the roof. Leaning off his balcony he saw white and auburn locks being whipped in the wind. At his current angle, all he could see was that and a diminutive portion of milky skin which he assumed was he arm. Quickly snatching the blanket off his bed he began to scale the side of the mansion.

Coming up from behind her, Gambit saw she was sort of rocking her body as she held her knees tight against her chest, he also saw her arms and legs were covered with tiny goose bumps and knew she was chilly. Without a single word, he covered her with his much loved blanket and sat next to her. His arm around her body so that he could rub the blanket over both her arms to speed up the heating process.

Knowing she wouldn't say anything he took the initiative and whispered, "Everyt'ing's gon' be fine, chere."

Without lifting her head from her pallid knees she asked with a trembling voice, "promise?"

Enclosing her body with the blanket he whispered with sincerity flowing through that single word, "promise."

Although Rogue knew he would do his best to make 'everything fine' she still wished to be alone. She stood gradually, letting his cerulean blanket drop and wandered away.

Knowing it was best not to follow her Gambit scooped up the blanket, coddled it like a child, and repeated the word, "Promise."

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><p><strong>If you know the comic that last little roof top scene was based on PROPS to you!<strong>

**Again, thanks for reading and reviewing  
><strong>

**and I never know when I'll update next, sorry!  
><strong>

**Until next time,  
><strong>

**much love  
><strong>

**Bye :)  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION**


	21. The Mind Is A Powerful Thing

****Hey everybody!

So last chapter you got to know what the nightmare was and this one you get to find out if Magneto's really dead!

To everyone, thanks for reading and reviewing and btw HAPPY SUMMER!

So without further ado enjoy chapter 21 :)

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 21: The Mind Is a Powerful Thing<strong>

With a smoldering summer wind whipping the curtains of the mansion into an amusing dance, Rogue lazed on the cream-colored couch reading a favorite book of hers. Ever since the rooftop incident her life had pretty much gone back to normal, she talked with Kitty and Kurt, trained with Logan and everyone else, and occasionally went on dates with Remy. Rogue had had the nightmare only one other time in her few weeks of normality, however something new was troubling her now: every once in awhile Rogue would hear whispering or see the flutter of a violet cape around a corner. She had waved these things off, contributing them to nerves and stress, but she knew they were something more.

Abruptly, Rogue's book was slammed shut and she was overwhelmed by the scent of cigarette smoke and spices. Gambit appeared looming above her relaxing figure with the same smirk he always had, well always had when he wasn't worried she was going to die, he slipped his gloved hands under her shoulders and tenderly began to rub them.

Sighing in delight, Rogue asked, "What do y'want Swamp Rat?"

Hearing the noise she made made him ecstatic as he knew although her tone was teasing she was clearing enjoying herself. "Fo' y'to come into d'kitchen."

Languidly sitting up Rogue questioned while stretching out her slender arms, "Should Ah even ask?"

His smile grew wider as Rogue peered down at his open hand, an obvious indication to grasp hold of it and follow. So she did.

In the kitchen, Gambit had laid out an entire Southern breakfast spread for the two of them. Moist cornbread glistened with fresh butter as grits and apple pancakes steamed at the end of the island's granite counter-top, followed up by sausage gravy and toast with strawberry jelly alongside it.

Rogue's happiness didn't need to be voiced; Gambit could see it in the ear-to-ear grin that she now wore.

"Italian food's great an' all, but I thought y'might be missin' some good ol' fashion cookin'."

As the two filled their plates and sat at the same end of the dining room table, footsteps could be heard running throughout the halls of the mansion. Paranoid, Rogue whipped her head to the entrance of the kitchen and glimpsed silver hair and a crimson shoulder pad leaving the room. Without Rogue's notice, her hand had begun to shake.

"Rogue?" Gambit looked at her strangely, "Are y'okay?"

She snapped back to reality and answered, "Why wouldn't Ah be?"

Worriedly, he pointed at her trembling hand which apparently she was not aware of.

"Oh, uh, Ah'm fine," Rogue forced her hand to be still and took a bite of the delicious cornbread with a smile.

After the weirdness of that moment was over and Rogue had assured Gambit several more times she was okay the two began to talk as they usually would.

"Next time Ah'm makin' the food," Rogue laughed.

"You don' like it?" he almost sounded concerned.

"Ah love it."

"Hmmm okay. Next time we go out to d'park, lay down a'nice blanket, rest under de sun in each others arms—"

"Whoa slow down there," although that sounded pretty good to Rogue it still worried her, she paused not wanting to say the wrong thing and discourage him because she craved that to, "Ah don't sunbathe," she finally decided on and finished with a smirk while tucking her hair behind one ear.

"Well," he began, playing along, "Then I'll jus' hav'to be on top t'keep de sun off a'you."

"Maybe if y'wanna die," she replied in a teasing tone.

The two's flirting was cut short by the bustle of Kitty, Kurt, Scott, and Jean all bursting in saying, "I smell food!" and gobbling up whatever Rogue and Gambit hadn't. Then sitting at the table and continuing to talk.

"Hey Rogue," Kitty cheered, "Like don't forget you promised to go to the mall with us tonight."

"Oh and we all have a danger room session in an hour," Jean reminded, trying to comb her long red hair with her fingers.

"Hey turn up the TV."

"One sec."

"Is there anymore jelly?"

"This is so good. Who made it all?"

"Still can't hear the TV."

"Okay, okay, I'm on it."

"Ugh, my hair is so flat today!"

Somewhere within all the chaos an hour had gone by and they were all currently on their way down to the danger room.

Logan had them on the ropes course outside, in ninety degree weather, wearing dark blue uniforms; needless to say they were hot. As Rogue leapt through the feverous air to catch a swinging rope hung above a mud pit, she heard the voice of a familiar man whispering menacingly, "I'm still here. You've lost. You _will_ always lose unless you join me." Barely catching the rope, Rogue lost her breathe and slipped halfway down it and was subsequently forced to climb her way back up as she shook her head trying to dispose of that horrid voice.

After the long, painful session full of mud and the spit projected from when Logan yelled, everyone decided to take a dip in the pool out back. With almost twenty minutes of nonstop berating by Kitty, Rogue agreed to actually swim this time instead of just submerging her feet. However, she refused to go in without wearing an outsized mauve t-shirt over her charcoal bikini top, which when wet hung off of just one shoulder.

After she had exited the pool to once again dive in, Gambit, in his infinite joy, captured Rogue from behind, ensnaring her by the waist he lifted her up and swung in unbounded circles until he felt the edge of the pool with his foot and hurdled in.

"Gambi—" she began to scream in elation when she heard that voice again.

"I'm the master of magnetism! You cannot defeat me."

"Rogue?" Gambit reached out his hand; she appeared to be in a daze, "Talk t'me. Tell me what's goin' on?"

As Rogue began to sink she whispered with her last breathe, "Him."

Without a second thought, Gambit dove to the bottom of the pool and grasping the gargantuan shirt Rogue so smartly put atop her bathing suit he carried her up to the surface and quickly wrapped her in a towel with the intention that he could now pick her up and run to the infirmary. Screaming behind him, "Get de Professor!"

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><p>Squinting against the intense yellow light of the infirmary, Rogue could make out the Professor's face and only the Professor's face. Xavier had forced everyone, even Gambit, to wait outside.<p>

"Rogue, what have you been hiding from me?"

"He's…he's still here. Ah think he's tryin' t'live on through me. Ah hear him, Ah see him! Professor Ah'm scared." Once again her hands began to tremble and she looked to Xavier with panic in her eyes. "Ah…Ah don't think he left," her voice quavered as she grasped the bed with unsteady hands, "Ah don't think he's dead. Is that possible Professor?"

"I'm not sure," he tried to sound comforting, but knew there was little comfort in a matter like this one. "There is one way to find out, Rogue. I know you don't like it but—"

"Do it!" she blurted out.

Xavier nodded his head and placed his pointer finger to his temple. Entering Rogue's mind nothing seemed out of ordinary, seeing as _ordinary_ was shadows of masses of mutants roaming about in solitude and anguish. Xavier roamed through the cerulean mist and past broken buildings, it was clear that even with all the progress they had made not of all Rogue's mental tribulations had been solved. "Erik?" he whispered, fearing breaking the silence would cause some kind of mass pandemonium. When it didn't he repeated louder, "Erik?"

"Charles?"

Xavier spun around to see his old friend floating about without a purpose. "Erik? My god, are you alive?"

"Charles," he shook his head, "you know the answer to that."

"I know, but I wish it were not true." Xavier almost hung his head in sorrow.

"I'm but a shadow of my former self, and no Charles I'm not controlling this young girl. I'm trapped in her like everyone else."

A single tear escaped from the crook of Xavier's eye, "Did it hurt, old friend?"

"When she killed my real self? No."

"Good."

"Now go, bring her peace." Magneto waved his good friend off.

"I miss you, Erik," Xavier began, "Even though we were on opposite sides, you were my closest friend…"

To comfort Xavier, Magneto's shade said, "I know, you were mine as well. It was a nice ceremony you gave for me Charles, now go."

Upon exiting Rogue's mind that single tear still resided on Xavier's face as he remembered everything him and Magneto had gone through, both before and after the X-men. "Rogue," he placed his hand tenderly on her gloved one, "Magneto is gone. He's dead and nothing is bringing him back. The voices you hear, the specter you see, it's all in your head. You have created this phantom, although a part of his psyche like all the others is still in your head, he is not causing this, you are."

Rogue's mouth gaped open, "So what? It's…it's mah guilt doin' this t'me?"

"I'm afraid so," he answered sullenly, "However, now that you know this you should be able to quite the voices eventually."

"How comforting."

After a few days, Rogue was released from the infirmary and once again tried to regain a sense of normality.

It was 11 p.m. and Rogue sat in the living room with a bowl of cereal, mindlessly staring at the glowing screen of the TV, when all of a sudden she heard him whispering again. "I'll be back; you think you can silence one of the most powerful mutants in the world?"

Rogue shook her head, "Ah'm doin' this, Ah can control it."

"You'll lose…"

"No," Rogue whispered, "Ah won't. You will, you _have_. An' this ain't you, it's meh. And AH don't want t'hear it!"

Silence.

She waited, expecting to hear Magneto's voice again.

She did not.

Only the buzz of the television was audible... and footsteps.

The thud of the steps was getting closer and closer to the entrance of the living room. Rogue's clouded vision saw Magneto entering the room and she attacked. Rogue lunged at the figure with a right cross, and then seized his shoulders and rammed his abdomen into her knee, yelling, "Leave me alone!"

"Hey now," The figure coughed as he rolled on to his back and peered up into his assailant's face. "I jus' thought y'would want some company, but fine I'll leave."

With cleared vision, Rogue saw the black and blue bump appearing on Gambit's cheek as he pulled himself up from the floor and began to exit the room. "No, no, no. Gambit come back!" She snatched his hand and yanked him back. "Ah'm sorry, Ah saw Magneto instead of you. Ah'm sorry, Ah'm sorry." She kept repeating that same phrase, each time it sounded more like crying than before. Gambit put his arm around her, allowed her to cuddle into his chest, and sat them both on the couch listening to "Ah'm sorry" All. Night. Long.

"I know, chere, I forgive you."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading and reviewing!<strong>

**Reviews really are priceless, so please leave one :)  
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**This will NOT be the last chapter but I think it may be coming within a few chapters or so...not sure yet  
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**Don't know when I'll update next because I should be working on my summer homework instead of this but let's be serious this is sooooo much more fun to write  
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**Love ya'll  
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**Until next time  
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**ENJOY YOUR SUMMER  
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**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION**


	22. It's Peaceful Here

****Hey everybody :)

Hope your summer is going as good as mine

So in this chapter she has another breakdown, but i think you'll like the ending :)

Thanks for reading and reviewing and as always enjoy!

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 22: It's Peaceful Here<strong>

The world buzzed outside her window as her body trembled beneath the olive sheets of her bed and her sweat drenched their matching pillow. It had been almost a week without any incidents, the voices were gone, the specter was gone, the nightmare was gone…that is until this previous night. It all hit Rogue in a single giant crashing wave. First she heard him; voices bombarded her from every direction as she just about clawed at her ears to stop them. Then she saw him, everywhere. Everywhere she turned he was there ready to lunge himself at her and finish the job. She peeled back the curtain to her shower and had to duck from make-believe metal shards being flung at her; she closed the mirror cabinet and almost screamed as his reflection appeared instead of her own. And lastly, when she laid her head down onto her silky jade pillow cover she was submerged in the very same terrifying nightmare as before which had the very same outcome as last time.

So now she lay, clinging onto her comforter that had also been soaked in sweat, and listened to the outside world. Rogue heard the muffled sounds of her fellow mutants laughing and playing and planning to see movies after danger room sessions. She heard happiness, she heard sadness. She heard it all. Then she heard footsteps approaching her room, assuming she knew who they belonged to and wanting to be alone, Rogue leapt out her window and started sprinting toward her favorite park.

As Gambit turned the brass doorknob and peeked his unusual eyes inside Rogue's room, he noticed his girlfriend's bed in complete disarray and as he walked up to investigate the cool fabric he felt the dampness of it and immediately knew what had happened. Letting the muggy summer breeze smack against his rigid face, Gambit leaned out the window and distinguished Rogue's figure running north.

Rogue found the winding dirt pathway that led through the soaring oaks of the uptown park. With the humidity so high hardly any children were out to play, therefore the swings did not swing, the slide was not slid, the monkey bars were not climbed, and the merry-go-round creaked in circles as the wind pushed and pulled it how it willed. None of this bothered Rogue however, she simply followed the path around and around and around, watching leaves float to the ground as she clung her arms tightly about her and attempted to clear her head.

Gambit knew exactly where she was headed and wasted no time hopping on his motorcycle and following. He had designed the paint job of his bike to match his eyes: onyx with ruby pin-stripping. Revving into the playground's parking lot, Gambit thought it best to stay where he was until Rogue revealed herself.

She never did, at least not intentionally. A breeze had picked up slightly and whipped Rogue's hair past the thick tree trunks and into Gambit's view momentarily. Unfortunately for her, it had also gotten her hair successfully trapped in a low hanging branch and as Rogue turned to free herself Gambit could clearly perceive the glistening of tears running down her face. That was enough motivation to get together with her whether she wanted him to or not.

Bobbing under pokey branches and stepping over protruding roots, Gambit eventually found Rogue and placed a hand on her shoulder. She silently gazed at his strapping hand for several minutes before abrasively shoving it off and turning away from him. He tried once more. Once again placing his strong hand on her shoulder, but this time he caressed her with the tender stroking of his thumb over the transparent emerald cotton of her shirt. When she made no reaction he placed his other hand onto her open shoulder and did the same thing.

Rogue whispered something that was barely audible.

Staring off at a nearby spotted deer she whispered it a bit louder, "please leave." Then without warning she walked away.

He had no intentions of leaving her.

Yet again he pursued her through the woodlands and her trail led out of them and towards the abandoned play area. Rogue sat on the faded cherry and yellow paint of the merry-go-round as she slowly turned it with her bare feet, not noticing the piercing creak it appeared to be making. Upon seeing this, Gambit took off his shoes as if he was a child playing and immersed his feet into the sand next to hers.

"Would yo' like a'push?"

Her head tilted up to him, tears still visible, and then she nodded. Gambit ran around and around in the sand until he decided the metal contraption was spinning at a sufficient speed when he jumped on like any ten year old would have. As the merry-go-round slowed to a stop, Gambit took a seat next to Rogue and picked at aged baby blue paint saying, "Hi, I'm Remy."

She peered into his eyes and responded, "Rogue."

Smiling he crooned, "Well Rogue a femme as beautiful as yo' shouldn't hav'a t'ing in d'world t'cry about."

Leaning her head onto his shoulder she whispered, "It happened again, Ah'm losin' control."

"Shhhh," he whispered cupping her head while at the same time stroking her hair, "It was only one time. It's okay, t'ings happens."

"No!" Breaking the mood, Rogue shot up and away from him, "Y'don't get t'say that to meh. Y'don't know what it's like t'have people constantly in your head, talkin' t'ya, whisperin' t'ya. Ah've got t'fight everyday to stay in control! An' now Ah've got one tryin' t'kill meh! An' it's not even the one in mah head, it IS mah head. Mah guilt is eatin' meh alive, Remy." She paused and wept into her gloves, repeating, "Y'don't get t'say that to meh. Y'don't get t'say that to meh."

"I bet yo' t'ink a thief has no guilt," Gambit started, staring into the sand speaking in a sullen tone, "But you'd be wrong." Rogue's head rose from her hands and peered at Gambit. "Jean Luke, d'man dat took me in, we were in d'middle of a'heist, very, very rich couple in d'French Quarter, and d'woman woke up…" He peeled his eyes off of the sand and locked them on Rogue's. "I was d'only mutant and Jean Luke promised me it wouldn't kill her…" his voice began to choke, "Anyways, he screamed at me t'charge an' throw somet'ing at d'stairs she was standin' on. I…I argued, but he threatened t'throw me out if I didn't. So I picked up a'book end an' hurled it at her feet. D'blast took out most'a d'livin' room an' I can still hear her scream, still see her body burn…" For the first time ever Rogue saw a tear escape Gambit's remarkable eyes.

The two sat in silence for almost ten minutes, each remarking on their and the other's personal hells. When suddenly Rogue took Gambit's hand and asked, "Do y'know why Ah come here?"

He shrugged.

"It's peaceful here. An' beautiful. Quiet at times an' loud at others when kids come t'play. White in winter. Red an' yellow in fall. Bright green in summer. An' buddin' in spring. It's a place where all the voices in mah head will slow down and marvel at the same things Ah do. It's an escape an' Ah love it."

Gambit gazed at Rogue's face lighting up as she wondered at her park, and he knew this place was something special to her. Squeezing her hand, Gambit assured Rogue, "We're goin' t'make it through this; we can make it through anyt'ing."

"Y'can't promise that," Sorrow flowed throughout her words, "no one can. Gambit," she placed her hand on his rigid cheekbone, "y'may not always be able t'protect meh, t'save meh."

"As long as I'm breathin'," he affectionately leaned his face into her hand, "I'm goin' t'do my best to."

Gambit began to lean in for a kiss but just as their lips were centimeters apart she stopped, "Gambit?"

"Yeah?" he answered. Both of their lips were already puckered for a kiss and their eyes that had gradually shut themselves were forced back open.

"Ah want to. More, more than anything…but…"

"Y'won't hurt me…" he whispered while approaching her lips again.

"Wait!" The shock from her raised voiced stopped him in his tracks. "There, there is a way…"

Before Gambit could protest Rogue closed her eyes and was lost within her mind for a few moments. "No! Damn it Rogue. Don't do dis!"

She opened her eyes and smiled. "Once won't hurt meh an' Remy Ah love you. Please, Ah want this too." Waving her arms through the summer air above her head she used Leech's powers to neutralize her own. "There."

Without hesitation she let Gambit approach her. He took hold of each side of her soft face and planted his lips on hers repeatedly. Ecstatically, she returned each kiss with the same amount of passion and force until she fell onto her back with the weight of Gambit on top of her. They continued to kiss as the merry-go-round squeaked in uneven circles. When suddenly Gambit moved from Rogue's lips to her nape as he left a trail of kisses on his way down, never having experienced this before Rogue let out a noise new to her and very pleasurable to Gambit as he decided to once again close the gap between their lips in humid elation and love. Breaking away, Rogue endeavored to mimic Gambit's previous move, only after she was done with his neckline Rogue pulled down his shirt and continued her journey, which stayed in the range of his upper chest. Again, they went back to kissing as it was the one thing they had always desired to do and now that they could they never wanted to stop even to breathe.

All of the sudden Gambit's whole body began to tingle and Rogue's mind was ambushed with memories of her, both realized what was happening and ripped apart from each other before Gambit became unconscious. Breathing heavily, Rogue began to close her eyes again when Gambit seized her arm and yanked her back to him saying, "No. Once, only once."

Trying to break free of his grip she argued, "But Ah can do it a second time an' be fine, Ah know it! Don't y'want t'do that again?"

"There's not'ing I want more—"

"Then let meh—"

"No! I love y'to much t'see y'go through them rampagin' through yo' head again. Jus' once…"

Rogue nodded, knowing he was right, and nestled into his chest as they watched the day go by spinning on their worn-out, squeaking merry-go-round.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading and reviewing!<strong>

****Yes, sadly all stories must come to an end, HOWEVER,  
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**I may write another chapter, IDK! Tell me if you think i should keep this story going a little longer  
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**Happy Summer Everyone :)  
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**Bye  
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**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION**


	23. Addicted

****Hey everybody :) Haven't written in a while sorry but I was in Alaska for two weeks! Fun vacation btw :)

Anyways thanks for all the support and reviews, the story is unfortunately coming to close within a chapter or so but this is not the last one. Promise :)

R&R and Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 23: Addicted <strong>

"Remy! This is a horrible idea! Ah'm not doin' this."

A smile spread across his devilish lips as he responded, "Too late." The control panel of the danger room gleamed before him as he pushed and prodded several of the buttons.

"Remy…" Rogue was almost in a cold sweat as she stood alone in the center of a makeshift maze Gambit had designed. His idea was to put her in the labyrinth then send holograms at her from different angles, some were to be X-men and others Brotherhood and Acolyte members, none however were to be Magneto. The goal was only to attack those not on her team. However, the bigger objective of this exercise was to not see Magneto in every person that rounded a corner near her.

It had seemed like a good idea to Rogue up until now. She was scared to death, even with knowing everyone was just a hologram, she was terrified. What if she sees him and he attacks her again? What if it doesn't work at all and she can never distinguish who's real and who's not? What if she completely loses her mind?

"Remy…" she repeated.

The soft sound of his lips pressed up against the control room microphone comforted her as he said, "Rogue, don't worry. I'm here. I'm not goin' anywhere, Chere."

"Ah…Ah feel trapped…"

"Y'can do this Rogue, I know y'can."

Without another sound the first hologram snuck up on Rogue from behind. She twirled her body wildly to see who it was, fists at the ready, when a smiling furry azure face asked if his sister wanted to catch a movie. Kurt's hologram soon disappeared as another appeared. It was Avalanche, walking casually around the end of a wall towards her.

Breathing heavily from the shock of Kurt, Rogue's head had begun to reel with the pain of a self-induced migraine, vision blurring she saw a silver-haired dead man instead and kicked violently at him.

From the control room Gambit asked who she had seen, even though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

"Mag-magneto."

Gambit immediately shut down the entire program and the walls descended into the floor. "We guessed y'probably would," he talked into the microphone, "Are y'okay? You wan'a keep goin'?

"Yes."

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><p>The sessions went on and on. Hours turned into days, days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. In a particularly nasty session, Rogue had boot-kicked Kitty's hologram through a wall, broken the hologram of Remy's arm, and saw Magneto four separate times. On the fourth time she had collapsed to the ground and dropped her head into her hands. Gambit leaped for the door then abruptly stopped himself as his hand touched the cool metal of the keypad. As much as he wanted to run to her aid he knew that above all she had to get through this on her own and once more she might see him as Magneto and attack him. After fifteen minutes she had pulled her trembling body back up into a standing position and shouted at Gambit to go again.<p>

Seven months had gone by and Rogue finally had her breakthrough. She made it successfully through a two hour session without seeing Magneto once, only attacking those that were not X-men. She was exhausted, and yet her triumph fueled every aspect of her body at the moment as Gambit came bursting through the danger room doors. Picking her up in a bear-hug he spun Rogue more times than either could count as she nuzzled into his chest, both with equally wide grins.

"I knew y'could do it Chere."

"Only took seven months," she joked. He was too happy for words and could do nothing more than smile wider and squeeze harder as he soaked up the energy Rogue seemed to radiate. "Remy," she crooned, "Ah want t'celebrate."

"Name d'restaurant."

"Ah was thinkin' somet'ing more intimate."

Confused and excited by what Rogue proposed, Gambit cocked an eyebrow at her and in a perplexed tone said, "Rogue? Are y'askin' t—?"

"Please shugah, Ah want to and Ah know y'do too."

"Rogue, you know what d'consequnces are. Dey aren't pretty. I won't let y'do somet'ing so risky."

Wrapping her slender arms around his neck she whispered into Gambit's ear, "Trust meh." Before he could argue her head fell limp in his arms and her eyes closed. He knew she was tapping into Leech's powers…

"Rogue…" he shook her body, hoping to wake her before she could find Leech, "Rogue!"

With a smile placed ever so tenderly on her lips, her eyes opened. "Ah'll be okay," she whispered, and then sprinkled his coarse cheek with supple kisses that one after another grew in strength.

"Not here," he spoke softly as Rogue stopped with a hurt expression on her face. "Not in d'open," he continued and she smiled once again grasping his hand.

Rushing through the walls of the mansion in great hast, Gambit's mind staggered through all the consequences of what they were about to do. He had no idea how far it was going to go and with adrenaline pumping and his vision already beginning to blur he didn't care.

Exploding through the mahogany door of Gambit's room, Rogue grasped Remy's waist and threw them on to his cerulean bedspread. The springs of his bed made noticeably audible screeches as Gambit just about fell on top of his girlfriend.

It was an abnormally lifeless, muggy day and no wind blew threw his open balcony to cool the amorous couple.

Rogue stretched her neck up and meet Remy's lips with more passion than before, as he returned every amount of fervor and ardor and then some when he suddenly halted to a stop. With a bewildered look on her face Rogue pulled away, "What's wrong?"

"This…this is wrong, Chere."

"Ah'll be fine," she bit the middle finger of her glove and pulled it off, placing her bare hand on Gambit's cheek. "Don't worry 'bout meh."

"Dat's all I worry about," he crooked his head into her hand and kissed each fingertip. Gradually this time, Gambit lowered himself down until his lips brushed against hers. "An' all I ever will worry about." Consequently, he sensually and slowly began to kiss Rogue. Just kiss. He couldn't get enough of that kiss…

Rogue, enjoying this just as much as he was, wanted more. Her hands, one gloved one not, wandered down to the edges of his black shirt and began to draw it up and over his head. Taking the hint, he did the same to her see-through jade over shirt leaving her charcoal tank on underneath and rolling over let her rest on his hairy, muscular chest. Sitting up Rogue straddled Gambit's waist as she looked down at her boyfriend.

Smiling, he wrapped his hand around the swell of her lower back and purred, "Come here, beautiful," as he pressed her close to him and kissed the top of her head. Leisurely, Rogue twisted her head and kissed Gambit's chest all over as his eyes closed in delight. But once again Gambit's body began to tingle and Rogue's mind began to be ambushed with his memories.

"No, no, no…" she whispered.

"Rogue," he stopped her, "I'm sorry." He groaned with pain of his life-force being compulsorily taken from him.

"Me too," she almost sobbed as they flung away from each other.

Their second time started just as frantic and ecstatic as the first in the playground had. Their third… their fourth… their fifth… the more and more they did this the more and more they melted together, knew each other inside and out. Each time feeling more like one entity than two. The fact that it was wrong was blatantly shoved to the back of their minds as each time they moaned in elation. It was an addiction, like morphine without the needle, and they couldn't stop.

A few more weeks had gone by and spring was approaching rapidly. This spring was much hotter than the previous and much more plentiful with "April showers". One day when the two lovers were positive they were completely alone they had gone out to the freezing pool in the back to cool off. Stripping down to underclothes only Rogue and Gambit leapt into the crystal clear waters of the pool. Knowing Rogue had already obtained Leech's powers before they came outside Gambit swam underneath her like a shark and popping up behind her floating head took hold of her waist and nibbled on her neck as she let out a joyous scream.

Unaware to them, one resident remained behind in the mansion; a resident with senses heightened enough to hear that scream. His lips growled as he shoved tables and chairs out of his way to get to the backyard pool. When suddenly he stopped, changed his course and found a window to spy on whoever was in the back. What Wolverine saw, to say the least, displeased him.

Rogue had turned her body in the water to face Gambit and by the time Wolverine caught sight of them, they were once again lip locked with one another. Releasing just the beginning of his unbridled rage Wolverine smashed the window and glass shards plummeted to the dewy ground below. Leaving a trail of wreckage, Wolverine made his way outside. Sprinting to the pool's edge he dove in and dragged Gambit by the neck away from Rogue.

The wholehearted shock of Wolverine appearing had muted Rogue until now when she screamed out to him, pleading with him not to hurt Gambit. Rogue lifted herself hurriedly out of the pool, scrapping her leg on the concrete, and ran as quick as she could after them. "No! Logan, put him down! Logan!"

He paid no mind to her as he hurled Gambit on to the floor of the forest adjoining the mansion's backyard, branches leaving malicious cuts on his back. Without warning, Logan's enormous boot landed square in the middle of Gambit's bare chest, knocking the wind out of him momentarily. The gleam of his metal claws began to show as they slowly, frighteningly unsheathed.

Rogue's frantic voice could be heard in the distance getting closer and closer as Wolverine raised his arm above his head ready to decapitate Gambit.

Thinking quickly, Gambit grabbed a handful of leaves and twigs, charging them he tossed them into Wolverine's face and as he stumbled backwards Gambit back rolled on to his feet and began to run.

Lunging at his prey Wolverine slashed through thick chocolate-colored tree trunks and nearly missed plunging his glistening metal claws into Gambit's ribcage. Snapping off a large branch, Gambit swung it with all his might and connected the end of the wood with Wolverine's cheekbone as his head was forced to turn ninety degrees to the right.

Growling deafeningly Wolverine punched Gambit in the abdomen and as he fell stepped on him once again to keep him stationary. Seemingly hell-bent on killing him, Wolverine once more raised his claws into the chilled air.

"NO!" Rogue's bleeding body, cut up from running through the forest, became visible and flopped itself fiercely on to Gambit's for his protection. "NO!" she shouted again. Her breathing was visibly labored. "Don't hurt him!"

"Give me a reason not," Wolverine snarled cruelly.

"Y'don't want t'hear it an' y'know it!" Rogue cried.

She was right, standing in the middle of the half dead half blooming forest, he knew why and saw the truth of it in their eyes. His hand, still raised, twitched in the anger he still felt, but gradually lowered to his side as he stared at the two.

"Please don't tell anyone," Rogue begged, "Please."

"That you two are sleeping together? I'd rather forget it myself," he retorted.

"We aren't sleepin' together, Logan." Rogue did all the talking seeing as Wolverine had a soft spot for her and a death wish for Remy and they all knew it. "We jus—"

"How?"

"Please," she pleaded, "Jus' don' ask."

"Leech's powers?" He wasn't dense about this, about her.

She nodded. "Please Logan, don't tell."

"I won't kid, promise."

After that, things between Logan and Remy were even more tense than usual, but he held true to his promise, more for Rogue's happiness than Gambit's.

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><p>A few days later, Rogue and Gambit were having breakfast together like they usually did, it was Rogue's turn to cook. She had decided to make Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and was currently leaning over to take them out of the oven.<p>

"Dat's cheatin'," Gambit teased.

"Then Ah guess Ah'll hav'ta eat 'em all by myself," she teased back.

Walking over to the island she put them on he remarked, "I guess I'll let it slide jus' dis once." All of a sudden, Rogue's feet wavered beneath her and she caught the granite countertop to balance herself as she clutched her head. "Rogue?" Gambit sounded worried.

She faked a smile, "Ah'm fine."

The rest of that day he kept an unusually close eye on her, noticing that the same incident happened throughout the day several times. Concerned, Gambit snapped back into reality and out of his perfect honeymooning dream life with Rogue. He knew why she was having headaches and he was not going to let it continue.

That night, after a predominantly brutal danger room session then a run in with the Brotherhood at the mall, Rogue snuck into Gambit's room from the balcony which for some reason the doors were closed. Subsequently, she knocked on the glass window of the entrance and waited. Heavyhearted, Gambit opened up the door and she gleefully hugged him. Hugging back he wanted nothing more than to do it just one last time, but no, it was time to end the addiction.

"Give meh a sec darlin'." Her eyes began to drift closed when Gambit yanked her back. Confused, Rogue asked, "What's wrong?"

"Y'r headaches Rogue…" this was the conversation he never wanted to have. "We have t'stop."

She ripped away slightly, as if he'd hurt her somehow. "Ah know y'don't want that."

"Y'r right," he stroked her snow white hair, "y'r so right," he sobbed. "But it's happ'ning again, an' I refuse t'be d'reason y'die, especially when I can stop it."

Her bottom lip began to quiver as the wind picked up and goose bumps appeared on her tender, pale skin. Bathed in the moonlight Rogue tried to argue one more time that it wouldn't hurt her.

"Dat's a lie!" Gambit exploded, "It already is hurtin' you. Y'almost collapsed a'total a'six times today! Rogue dis is dangerous and I won't let y'do it."

"Well y'ain't got much of'a chose what Ah do an' don't do, now do ya?" she spat at him as her eyes closed again.

"No!" He shouted and tackled Rogue to the floor of his balcony. "Don't, don't do dis t'yourself." He lifted her into his arms, muttering, "Don't do dis t'yourself, t'me, t'us. Come back t'me." His pleads were answered by Rogue's eyes fluttering open. "Did you?"

"No," she answered, "Ah…Ah couldn't find him in the smoke."

"Smoke?"

"When my psyches go haywire, they fight an' mah mind gets foggy, it looks like smoke."

"Rogue," he rocked her body, "I…I love you, you know dat," her head nodded, "An' we lasted dis long wit'out touch, I think we can last a little longer."

A faint smile spread across Rogue's lips as she thought to herself, 'but how much longer?'

Taking off one of his glove he covered her shivering cheek with it then leaned down to kiss the material, "Dere's always a way, Chere."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading and reviewing!<br>**

**Hope ya'll enjoyed it :)**

**There will be at least ONE more chapter :)  
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	24. Just Coffee

****HEY EVERYONE!

This is the final chapter for Explosions of Every Kind.

As sad as it is to write this author's note, I loved writing this story and I hope you loved reading it :)

So please R&R and enjoy the last chapter

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><p><strong>Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 24: Just Coffee<strong>

The reflection of Rogue was unmistakably discernible in her scalding hot coffee that rested within the deep crimson mug matching perfectly the unique eyes of her boyfriend as her own iridescent emerald eyes gleamed in Gambit's direction. This would be the fifth time their absent-minded, fair-haired waitress had come back to "stumble" on an imaginary crack in the tile floor and fall every so clumsily onto Gambit's arm for balance. "Sorry sweetheart," she'd croon, "Anything else you want besides coffee?" And each time, Gambit, as politely as he could, shoved her from his arm and asked for nothing more than the refill she kept forgetting to bring.

Sipping silently at his cracked porcelain mug, Gambit waited for Rogue to comment on the waitress' desperateness. Instead, she went another way and said in a half shocked, half mocking tone, "Can y'believe it?"

He cocked an eyebrow at her while hearing the clang from his action of placing the cup in his hand onto its matching saucer. "What?"

"We've been here nearly a'half hour an' y'haven't hit on our busty bottle blonde waitress?" Rogue couldn't help but let a modest giggle escape from the crook of her mouth at her own clever usage of alliteration.

"Guess I got mo' important t'ings t't'ink 'bout, no?" He replied charismatically.

"Y'mean like bein' an acolyte, then almost getting' killed by y'r own team member," she paused then added, "…an' by meh. Then savin' meh an' join' the X-men and pissin' _everyone _off. Then getting' saved _by_ meh, then watchin' meh slowly lose mah mind an' bringin' meh back… yeah maybe y'do have more t'think 'bout than a desperate waitress."

He couldn't contain his laughter at the mundane way Rogue prattled all that off in almost a single sentence. The laughter disheartened the waitress and made her turn back from what was going to be her sixth clasp of Gambit's muscular arm.

"I didn't piss_ everyone _off," he chuckled after taking a drink of his stale coffee.

"Jus' about," Rogue lingered silently as a thought dawned on her, "Remy," she started, playing with the silver spoon in her mug, "Y'think y'r ol' buddies miss ya back wit' the Acolytes?" Before he had a chance to respond she added, "Y'miss them?"

Gambit looked grave, "Never asked me dat before, Cherie. Don' know if I got an answer fo' you."

"They were y'r friends weren't they?"

""Sabertooth, no." Rogue rolled her eyes, obviously already knowing that, however the mood soon became sullen once more as he continued, "But John, yeah we used t'play pool, and Peter, he was never in it fo' Magneto."

Each stared at their own distorted reflections in their coffee as neither had the stomach to say what they were really thinking. "Ah'm sorry," was all Rogue was able to mutter out.

"I'd take you over them a million times over, Rogue."

"Even when Ah try t'kill you?"

He couldn't tell if she was joking or not and felt it best to stay with the serious tone he possessed, "especially when y'try t'kill me."

The smile that curled across her slender, violet lips gave him reassurance and let his nervous heart regain it's usual pace. Each reached out their gloved hand to the other and took hold, "It's been almost a week," Rogue remarked. "Just once?"

It was killing Gambit to tell her no but he knew, and so did she, that it was for the best. So they sat there silently, hand in hand, knowing how much the other cared for them.

A few minutes later Gambit had excused himself to go to the bathroom and Rogue sat there, on a springy worn-out cherry cushion that squeaked when she moved, staring at the other patrons of the diner. There was an obnoxious family of five with each parent on a separate mobile device while the kids planned there attack strategies of which waitress to trip, a few loners sipping their piping hot beverage while reading whatever section of the paper interested them the most, two couples in their early to late twenties discussing life over a piece of shared pie, and her. Rogue, who was sitting alone, leg shaking in the fear that she really was alone, that Gambit would leave with or without an explanation or get killed or somehow taken from her. Then she stared at his empty, cracked cup, just stared, the cup seemed to alleviate those fears slightly, seemed to tell her that no matter what he was coming back… and she didn't know why but she picked up that cup and drank the last remains of whatever bitter, stale, caffeine-filled brew was in it and smiled.

"Rogue?"

The thickly accented voice caught her off guard and the cup slipped from her hands, shattering on the floor. "Oops," she kidded looking up into his strange eyes, "guess that's how it got cracked in the first place." The booth squeaked as Gambit slid back onto his side while Rogue remarked, "Well gives that waitress a chance t'come over here an' lean on ya again."

"Jealous, Rogue? Y'don' even know she's comin'."

"Annoyed is more like it." Within two seconds flat the blonde waitress was rushing over to the broken shards of Gambit's cup, but with what seemed unfortunate for her, she had happened to be one of the devilish children's trip victims and this time didn't have to fake her fall into Gambit's lap.

"Oh," she pretended to act flustered, "I'm sorry, sir. It was those darn kids!" She wrapped her arms around his neck as if for protection from the three, four, and five year olds.

With the swooning, despairing floozy of a waitress wrapped around her boyfriend Rogue decided to brag, "Sayin' Ah tol' ya so is beneath mah dignity, so instead, Ah'll just say...nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah."** (1)**

As both Rogue and Gambit snickered, blatantly ignoring the woman in the middle of their conversation, the waitress got so discouraged she actually picked herself off of Gambit's lap and cleaned the ceramic shards with tears welling up in the crooks of her eyes.

After the crying waitress had run away from their table and the two had begun another conversation, the grey, hazy sky had finally given way to the rain everyone knew was coming. The windows were battered with drops of water that hastily trickled down to the sidewalk below.

The radio in the diner had begun to cut in and out as the storm warning began to sound something like, "Downtow— lookin— thun— clouds—" then finally melted into static altogether.

"Somethin' tells meh ridin' y'r bike home ain't a'good idea."

"Unless y'like bein' struck by light'ning," he peered out the window as he saw a cell tower spark from the collision with a particularly nasty bolt.

"Not on mah bucket list, Cajun, sorry."

Suddenly reverberations were without a doubt noticeable in the black coffee that was left in Rogue's smooth ceramic mug as footsteps could be felt coming nearer and nearer. Even before their communicators went off, Rogue and Gambit could see the enormous shadow of the Juggernaut trampling through town as Xavier's voice came on saying, "Caution! Juggernaut extremely dangerous and on a rampage downtown. Make sure civilians are not injured!"

Leaping out of the noisy booth, they threw their money on the table with a diminutive tip and replied to the Professor with a smirk he was not able to see, "We're already there."

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><p><strong><strong>(1) Quote from Gambit #5<strong>**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
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**Not just this chapter but all of them!  
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**Although this story is done I am not done writing, nor do I ever plan to be!  
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**Thanks for all the support and reviews :)  
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**Til my next story  
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**Bye!  
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**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION**


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